cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio)
often attributive
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
3
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon
cartoon verb
cartooning noun
cartoonish adjective
cartoonishly adverb
cartoonist noun
cartoonlike adjective
cartoony adjective

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 In cartoons, cars can fly, fish can sing and, apparently, babies can sell drugs. Kyle Bowser, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024 Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA PLATFORM PROBLEMS – Trump, Zuckerberg battle shaping debate over TikTok ban. Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024 The American Idol season 1 alumnus is flexing his vocal chops as the voice of Cat Burglar on the Disney cartoon Superkitties, playing the four-legged villain on the run from a fuzzy band of good guys. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024 This month’s cartoon…Here’s our cartoon for April, by Ian Foley. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024 In addition to an up-close look at the screw holding Patel's fifth metacarpal in place and allowed filming to continue, the shirt had a bubble printed on the front to represent the movie's COVID quarantine and a cartoon monkey — a nod to the movie — gracing the back. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024 On Saturday morning, families can bring their kids to watch classic cartoons, such as Mighty Mouse and Popeye, accompanied by an organ. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024 Kelly’s adoptive brothers in accent were hard to place — there were comparisons to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky (who grew up in Alabama), Kenny Chesney (Tennessee) and Foghorn Leghorn (cartoon rooster based in part on a fictional politician based on a Texas rancher). New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024 Its designs blend psychedelic artwork with nostalgia: think cartoons, skull-and-crossbones, and eclectic punk iconography. Lindsey Bartlett, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cartoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cartoon was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near cartoon

Cite this Entry

“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

cartoon

noun
car·​toon kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio)
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
3
cartoonist noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on cartoon

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