cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün 

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

cartooning

kär-ˈtü-niŋ 

noun

cartoonish

kär-ˈtü-nish 

adjective

cartoonishly adverb

cartoonist

kär-ˈtü-nist 

noun

cartoonlike

kär-ˈtün-ˌlīk 

adjective

cartoony

kär-ˈtü-nē 

adjective

Synonyms

• delineation
• drawing
• sketch

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

This may be a cartoon, but Gunn gives the series’ events a weight that’s earned on its own terms. —Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024

They were sold in 5lb green cardboard boxes, decorated with images of Christmas trees, snow, a red ribbon, and purple and yellow dinosaur cartoons. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA TRUTH TEST – Media takes latest blow to credibility with coverage of Hunter Biden pardon. —Fox News, 3 Dec. 2024

Choose a style — cartoon, watercolor, modern, classic, royal or Christmas — and then decide whether to stick with the traditional portrait or put the art on a fleece blanket, throw pillow, apron or puzzle. —Catherine Garcia, theweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cartoon

• animated cartoon
• strip cartoon

Kids 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

: comic strip

3

: animated cartoon

cartoonist

-ˈtü-nəst 

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