anime

American  

[an-uh-mey] / ˈæn əˌmeɪ /

noun

Graphic Arts.

1. a genre of film and television animation created in or influenced by the traditional style of Japanese 2D animation and characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, fantastic settings, and mature themes.

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animé ¹ British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ, -mɪ /

noun

1. any of various resins, esp that obtained from the tropical American leguminous tree Hymenaea courbaril

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animé ² British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

adjective

1. music the French word for animato

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anime ³ British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

noun

1. a type of Japanese animated film with themes and styles similar to manga comics

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Etymology

Origin of anime

First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese, borrowing of English animation ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does anime compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• manga vs. anime

Example Sentences

“The mainstreaming of anime at the theatrical box office is a really significant part of what happened this year and a really good sign,” Rothman said.

From Los Angeles Times

A small robot wearing a bear hat threw punches and a blue-green robot, resembling an anime character, moved its head and arms.

From Los Angeles Times

He sees a similar situation in which the popularity of Japanese cartoons – anime – meets an audience for Japanese comics, manga.

From BBC

It’s a simple story, but “Scarlet,” an anime feature from Japan, both complicates and muddies the quest.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maki Otsuki was halfway through the theme of hit anime One Piece on Friday when the lights and music went off, after which she was rushed off stage by two crew members.

From BBC