animated

American  

[an-uh-mey-tid] / ˈæn əˌmeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. full of life, action, or spirit; lively; vigorous.

   an animated debate on the death penalty.

2. made or equipped to move or give the appearance of moving in an animallike fashion.

   animated puppets.

3. containing representations of animals or mechanical objects that appear to move as real ones do.

   an animated window display.

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animated British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. full of vivacity and spirit; lively

2. characterized by movement and activity

   an animated scene met her eye

3. possessing life; animate

4. moving or appearing to move as if alive

   an animated display

5. pertaining to cinematographic animation

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Other Word Forms

• animatedly
  adverb
• nonanimated
  adjective
• overanimated
  adjective
• overanimatedly
  adverb
• semianimated
  adjective
• unanimated
  adjective
• unanimatedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of animated

First recorded in 1525–35; animate + -ed ²

Explanation

Something that seems full of life and movement is said to be animated. Animated films for television and movies include cartoons, Claymation, puppets, and computer-generated images, which are all simulations of living things. The Latin animāre "give breath to" is the basis for the word animated. The business of animated films has grown with the advent of computers, but the idea of animating something began long before cartoons and CGI. In Mary Shelley's classic 19th-century novel "Frankenstein," the monster, built of dead parts, is animated by electrical impulses, an idea that "sparked" a fascination with regeneration that survives to this very day.

Example Sentences

"An animated film that is based on my culture… I'd never thought I'd see something like that in my lifetime," she said.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

The animated sequel from Universal and Illumination Studios has earned nearly $900 million at the global box office, Exhibitor Relations reported.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Netflix rebooted the animated series with “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” in 2021, and the Masters of the Universe toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Andy Serkis directs an animated, awkwardly contemporary adaptation of the anti-Stalinist novella featuring the voices of Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson and more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

She was in the middle of an animated discussion with a group of perhaps two dozen people.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• energetic
• spirited
• vivid