cartoon
Americannoun
-
cartoons
plural
-
a sketch or drawing, usually humorous, as in a newspaper or periodical, symbolizing, satirizing, or caricaturing some action, subject, or person of popular interest.
-
Fine Arts. a full-scale design for a picture, ornamental motif or pattern, or the like, to be transferred to a fresco, tapestry, etc.
adjective
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a humorous or satirical drawing, esp one in a newspaper or magazine, concerning a topical event
-
Also called: comic strip. a sequence of drawings in a newspaper, magazine, etc, relating a comic or adventurous situation
-
See animated cartoon
-
a full-size preparatory sketch for a fresco, tapestry, mosaic, etc, from which the final work is traced or copied
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cartoon
First recorded in 1665–75; from Italian cartone “pasteboard, stout paper, a drawing on such paper,” equivalent to cart(a) “paper” ( see carte) + -one augmentative suffix
Explanation
A cartoon makes a brief, funny comment using illustrations and is often found on television, in a newspaper or in a magazine. The Simpsons and Snoopy? Both cartoons. A cartoon can be a satirical or humorous drawing, a series of illustrations (also called a comic strip), or an animated film. Many kids grow up watching new and classic cartoons on TV. Political cartoons manage to sum up an often complex idea in one simple panel. When you criticize a character or a real person for being a cartoon, you mean that they are overly simplified or exaggerated: "I hate that show because all the women are cartoon characters." The word comes from the Italian cartone, "strong, heavy paper."
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:
A red cartoon hunk of steak, a bronzed turkey, a few shrimp, a tub of unsweetened yogurt, an apple and a bag of frozen peas cascade alongside him.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
After 18 years and more than 50 superhero movies and TV series, Marvel Studios has one of the biggest hits in its history with a preschool cartoon called “Spidey and his Amazing Friends.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
A judge has ordered all videos featuring popular animated character Wolfoo to be removed from platforms including YouTube after ruling that the cartoon illegally copied audio from Peppa Pig.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Every life deserves respect and kindness," read the cartoon that was displayed on a huge screen before the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Windy opens her mouth dramatically like a cartoon character.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
“When you watch cartoons by Tex Avery or Chuck Jones, everything calls back to the perfect timing and the slapstick of those actors,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
“He’s eating McDonald’s, watching cartoons, doing just great, and they’re telling the story to the world that he’s ready to die,” claimed McAfee.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
A new Blu-ray set presents immaculately restored versions of 20 cartoons from Fleischer Studios and its namesake siblings, Dave and Max Fleischer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
A five-year-old who loved cartoons and computer games.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
“Yes, it’s six-thirty. Time for cartoons, aka the only time I have to clean up the previous day’s messes before it all goes to hell again.”
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
