animation

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌa-nə-ˈmā-shən 

plural animations

1

: the act of animating : the state of being animate or animated

2

: a movie, scene, or sequence that simulates movement from a series of still frames (such as drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects moved incrementally)

His work often condenses stories of intricate subjects into brief looping animations.

—Paul Tough

The work, titled Bigger Christmas Trees, was created on an iPad and features ten minutes of animation.

—Julia Binswanger

And as the animation above shows, this tilt causes the Moon's shadow to miss the Earth.

—Tom Yulsman

3

: the preparation of animation (as for animated cartoons, video games, commercials, etc.)

Synonyms

• briskness
• exuberance
• jazziness
• liveliness
• lustiness
• peppiness
• robustness
• sprightliness
• vibrance
• vibrancy
• vigorousness
• vitality

Examples of animation in a Sentence

The animation for the film took over two years to complete.

The studio used computer animation for some of the special effects.

The website has hundreds of animations you can download.

Recent Examples on the Web

Rudolph typically spends this month on televisions across the U.S. in the form of a 75-minute stop-motion animation film. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024

The animations—from subtle movements of the lowliest flower to terrifying, screen-filling actions from the game's titular giant animals—are handled with equal aplomb. —Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2024

While some adults and film critics may criticize the animation, children and teens will enjoy this film. —Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 21 Dec. 2024

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Nearly 20 years after Wallace & Gromit made history as the first stop-motion animation feature to win an Oscar, Nick Park returns with Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which premiered at AFI Fest this year and will stream on Netflix on Jan. 5. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing animation

• suspended animation
• with animation

Kids Definition

animation

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the state of being animate or animated

2

a

: a film made by photographing a series of positions of objects (as puppets)

b

: animated cartoon

3

: the making of animations

Medical Definition

animation

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən 

: the state of being animate or animated see suspended animation