animator

American  

[an-uh-may-ter] / ˈæn əˌmeɪ tər /

Sometimes animater

noun

• animators
  plural

1. a person or thing that animates.

2. Graphic Arts. an artist who produces animation from drawings, objects, or computer models: a video game animator;

   a cartoon animator;

   a video game animator;

   a stop-motion animator.

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animator British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪtə /

noun

1. an artist who produces animated cartoons

2. a person who coordinates or facilitates something, esp a television or radio presenter

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• animators
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of animator

First recorded in 1565–75, and in 1915–20 animator for def. 2; from Late Latin animātor; see origin at animate, -tor

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Explanation

If you're an animator, you're an artist who makes a drawing, clay figure, or digital image appear to move. Animators draw the images that make your favorite cartoon character seem to walk and talk. It used to be that an animator drew a series of images on paper that would appear as continuous movement when they were viewed in quick succession. Now there are many different kinds of animation, including claymation, in which clay figures are repeatedly filmed, adjusted, and filmed again, seeming to move independently thanks to animators. The Latin root word is animare, "give breath to," from anima, "life."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

animator animators

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner’s first chase happened in the 1949 short “Fast and Furry-ous,” directed by animator Chuck Jones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Wallace and Gromit became Aardman's most famous characters after animator Nick Park joined the studio in 1985.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Throughout July, The Swell is celebrating the lasting cultural inspiration of animator Hayao Miyazaki and the legendary films he created with Studio Ghibli.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

The 90-year-old Norman, who began working at Disney in the 1950s, became the studio’s first Black animator, contributing to films including “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book” and “Robin Hood.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

Amelia is the director and lead vocal talent, Serenity is the screenwriter and side vocals, and I’m the animator.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

And while some writers, directors, animators and studio executives might think that a kid won’t notice incompetence, they couldn’t be more wrong.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

“We made this in my spare bedroom, and the animators made it from their home office in rural Ireland, and we weren’t thinking about the Academy Museum when we made it.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026

For decades, the animators behind “Chicken Run” and “Wallace & Gromit” have used a very specific type of clay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

A moment of silence for all the comedians, late-night-show writers, political satirists, memers, animators and random influencers who just lost a wealth of inspiration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026

Whether as tribal leaders, spiritual animators, or priests, they all accomplished political functions and continuously reaffirmed the reasons for their perceived authority.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin

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Related Words

• artisan
• craftsman
• illustrator

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