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  • anime
    anime
    noun
    a genre of film and television animation created in or influenced by the traditional style of Japanese 2D animation and characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, fantastic settings, and mature themes.
  • animé
    animé
    noun
    any of various resins, esp that obtained from the tropical American leguminous tree Hymenaea courbaril

anime

American  
[an-uh-mey] / ˈæn əˌmeɪ /

noun

Graphic Arts.
  1. a genre of film and television animation created in or influenced by the traditional style of Japanese 2D animation and characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, fantastic settings, and mature themes.


animé 1 British  
/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ, -mɪ /

noun

  1. any of various resins, esp that obtained from the tropical American leguminous tree Hymenaea courbaril

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

animé 2 British  
/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

adjective

  1. music the French word for animato

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

anime 3 British  
/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

noun

  1. a type of Japanese animated film with themes and styles similar to manga comics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of anime

First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese, borrowing of English animation ( def. )

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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.

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

He cited last year’s film version of the anime series “Demon Slayer,” released theatrically by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

“The core anime fan is very passionate and engaged, and they talk about their fandom, which brings concentric circles of other viewers into the ecosystem,” said Purini.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

“The fact that we can just go to a general fan convention for horror, anime or comics proves that VHS collecting is alive and well,” says Le Moine, who runs day-to-day operations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

In the span of a few blinks, the wall is whole again, as if it’s never been attacked by an Amazon anime prop.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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