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.
"I'm seeing more people open to expression during secondary school with anime designs and Spotify artist shirts, it's a good way to end your journey and treasure youth," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
These connections made anime and martial arts cinema’s incorporation into hip-hop, an art form built on collaboration and sonic collage, somewhat inevitable.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
The adult-targeted block played a major role in mainstreaming anime, launched live-action comedy performers like Eric Andre, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, and resurrected old cartoon characters and titles with an absurdist twist.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
Corto found online conversations about anime have surged 400% in the past six years and now equal those about horror.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Autumn yells as she twirls her sword and stabs the blade into the troll’s knee with perfect anime form.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
