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Pokémon

American  
[poh-kee-mahn, ‐key‐] / ˈpoʊ kiˌmɑn, ‐keɪ‐ /
Trademark.
  1. a media franchise including video games, animated television series, movies, card games, etc. that depict a fictional class of pet monsters and their trainers.

  2. a pet monster in this fictional world.


Etymology

Origin of Pokémon

1995–2000; shortening of Japanese Poketto Monsutā , itself a loan translation of English pocket monsters

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.

See Examples For:

The new Pokémon sets will detect each other, so kids can “battle,” complete with light-up effects and creature-appropriate roars and fight sounds.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 18, 2026

"No matter where I was and what phase of my life, Pokémon Go has been there for me," he says.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

"Pokémon Go will always start with community - we think we're only scratching the surface here," he said.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

In other words, Pokémon is an exercise in delayed gratification and acceptance.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 5, 2026

This one had some Pokémon and Adventure Time characters.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

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