manga
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of manga
1985–90; < Japanese: literally, cartoon, comic strip
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Explanation
Manga is a Japanese style of comic books and graphic novels. Astro Boy and Dragon Ball are examples of popular manga. Manga is sold around the world and translated into dozens of languages, but it's mainly published in Japan, where it's popular with all ages of readers. In Japanese, manga literally translates to "involuntary pictures," but the word is used to describe both comics and cartooning. Western fans of manga recognize its distinctive style, with impressionistic backgrounds and big-eyed characters. Most manga is read from right to left, like Japanese writing.
Vocabulary lists containing manga
English Words Derived from Japanese
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Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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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.
Also a writer of manga and video game scripts, this was Yang's first book translated into English, by Taiwanese-American King.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
To immerse himself in Luffy’s worldview, he read the manga and watched the anime up to where he felt he’d learned enough about the character to embody him.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
Based on a cult manga, the second instalment of a dark trilogy about revenge tackled social inequalities -- a hallmark of Korean cinema.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Business accounts manager Nevi Bergeron bought her turbo-charged yellow 1997 Suzuki Cappuccino three years ago after being inspired by the Japanese street racing manga series Initial D.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
“My name’s Kevin Keo. Just look for me at the manga booth.”
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
