cartoon
Americannoun
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a sketch or drawing, usually humorous, as in a newspaper or periodical, symbolizing, satirizing, or caricaturing some action, subject, or person of popular interest.
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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
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a humorous or satirical drawing, esp one in a newspaper or magazine, concerning a topical event
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Also called: comic strip. a sequence of drawings in a newspaper, magazine, etc, relating a comic or adventurous situation
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See animated cartoon
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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:
The vibes are childish, more like those of 11-year-old boys pretending they’re in an action cartoon than adult men who read books and enjoy the company of women.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
They would go on to work together at the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, where Iwerks designed and animated “Plane Crazy,” the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
A lawyer for the firm has repeatedly mocked the regulator's threats of further fines or enforcement action with AI-generated cartoon images of hamsters.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
A multi-billion dollar cartoon franchise is a strange place to find a send-up of silent films, but “Minions & Monsters” does just that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
None of Ob’s whirligigs were farm animals or cartoon characters.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
“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
The show opens with Duchamp’s early paintings, drawings and cartoons, which reveal a shifting constellation of influences—Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
A five-year-old who loved cartoons and computer games.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Einhorn speed-talked through a presentation spiced up with cartoons and music clips.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Thankfully, the doctor came in to save us from the equally awkward distraction of cartoons.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
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.
