First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese, borrowing of English animation ( def. )
How does anime compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They also organise specialised events dedicated to the likes of professional wrestling, horror and anime, featuring celebrity guests from across the world.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He adds that there was “a danger of the character becoming an anime villain,” which the writers wanted to undercut.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The following contains major spoilers for the anime "Daemons of the Shadow Realm" through Episode 14, "Family and Friends."
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The 34-year-old self-proclaimed anime and manga fanatic told the BBC she felt compelled to take action.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
When we were little, Dad bought us some Japanese anime DVDs for Christmas.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
He has also noticed his son picking up on the English subtitles on animé TV shows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
From Meredith Blake’s 2018 coverage: “Little Women” has been adapted numerous times — into films, TV shows, an opera, a musical and even two animé series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2022
When you first encounter Pepper, it’s hard not to be struck by the quirky novelty of the situation: You’re being chatted up by something that looks part animé cartoon, part “Star Wars” stormtrooper.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 18, 2017
Skyles is from Portland; she loves animé and Tim Burton, especially “Ed Wood,” in which Johnny Depp plays the cross-dressing B-movie director.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2013
It resembles the animé of Madagascar rather than the copal of India, which flows from an entirely different tree.
From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James
That talented team previously worked on Asobi Asobase and Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World, though Lerche is probably best known for the Assassination Classroom and Danganronpa animes.
From The Verge ● Oct. 1, 2018
Like many Japanese animes and Korean dramas, the state-produced original series gained a broader viewership thanks to the labor of fans, who provided translations for those outside Norway.
From Slate ● May 22, 2018
Paramount’s campaign even found a useful ally in Mamoru Oshii, the brilliant Japanese director of the 1995 and 2004 “Ghost in the Shell” animes, who defended Johansson’s casting on grounds of artistic freedom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017
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.
