manga
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of manga
1985–90; < Japanese: literally, cartoon, comic strip
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Explanation
Manga is a Japanese style of comic books and graphic novels. Astro Boy and Dragon Ball are examples of popular manga. Manga is sold around the world and translated into dozens of languages, but it's mainly published in Japan, where it's popular with all ages of readers. In Japanese, manga literally translates to "involuntary pictures," but the word is used to describe both comics and cartooning. Western fans of manga recognize its distinctive style, with impressionistic backgrounds and big-eyed characters. Most manga is read from right to left, like Japanese writing.
Vocabulary lists containing manga
English Words Derived from Japanese
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Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Crunchyroll Manga will be launched as a separate reading app from the streaming video platform.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
The new challenge, Manga added, is figuring out how to physically explore this undiscovered world.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024
Prof Manga added that water was "the most important molecule in shaping the evolution of a planet".
From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024
"It could be that the collapse enabled the eruption to be bigger than it otherwise would have been because it pressurized the magma underneath," Manga says.
From Science Magazine • May 27, 2024
There's a stack of books on a table nearby, all titled Manga Pop Art by Tanya Fujisaki.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.