plural cartoons
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
a cartoon drawing
b
: a group of drawings in narrative sequence : comic strip
3
: a video (such as a television show or movie) that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame : animated cartoon
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
The film's villain is an entertaining cartoon.
cartoon
verb
cartoonishly
adverb
Examples of cartoon in a Sentence
She enjoys reading the cartoons in the Sunday paper.
The kids are watching cartoons.
Recent Examples on the Web
Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA
PULLING THE STRINGS – Liberals push talking point that Elon Musk is truly the incoming president instead of Trump.
—
Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
Paty was killed outside his school near Paris on Oct. 16, 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression.
—Tom Nouvian and Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Visitors are invited to park their cars and wander up the driveway to see cartoon characters and creatures heralding festive cheer.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday that a film with BBC Studios is in the works, slated to follow the life of the popular blue heeler pup Bluey and her younger sister Bingo of a cartoon Australian dog family, for a 2027 release date.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cartoon 
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Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
Paty was killed outside his school near Paris on Oct. 16, 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression.
—Tom Nouvian and Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Visitors are invited to park their cars and wander up the driveway to see cartoon characters and creatures heralding festive cheer.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday that a film with BBC Studios is in the works, slated to follow the life of the popular blue heeler pup Bluey and her younger sister Bingo of a cartoon Australian dog family, for a 2027 release date.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cartoon
Dictionary Entries Near cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cartoon
noun
car·toon
kär-ˈtün 
1
: a design, drawing, or painting made as a model for the finished work
2
a
: a drawing intended as a humorous comment on public affairs
b
3
Etymology
from Italian cartone "pasteboard, a sketch of a planned drawing or painting done on heavy paper," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, carton
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