plural cartoons
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
a cartoon drawing
b
: a group of drawings in narrative sequence : comic strip
3
: a video (such as a television show or movie) that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame : animated cartoon
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
The film's villain is an entertaining cartoon.
cartoon
verb
cartoonishly
adverb
Examples of cartoon in a Sentence
She enjoys reading the cartoons in the Sunday paper.
The kids are watching cartoons.
Recent Examples on the Web
That collapse is spurred not just by Napoleon, but also outside pressure from the human-run Pilkington Corporation, intent on reclaiming the freedom that these precious cartoon animals just seized.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
This woman, it is soon revealed, is a writer, and the cartoon girl ascending a tower by rope is the heroine of her children’s book series.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
On the paths between gravestones are colored footprints, as if left by cartoon characters.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
These lamington cupcakes are a fuzzy delight, resembling cartoon rabbits from a fairy tale.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
This woman, it is soon revealed, is a writer, and the cartoon girl ascending a tower by rope is the heroine of her children’s book series.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
On the paths between gravestones are colored footprints, as if left by cartoon characters.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
These lamington cupcakes are a fuzzy delight, resembling cartoon rabbits from a fairy tale.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cartoon
noun
car·toon
kär-ˈtün 
1
: a design, drawing, or painting made as a model for the finished work
2
a
: a drawing intended as a humorous comment on public affairs
b
3
Etymology
from Italian cartone "pasteboard, a sketch of a planned drawing or painting done on heavy paper," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, carton
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