manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

plural manga also mangas

: Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre

The characters' faces beam the big-eyed, manically jolly winsomeness that in anime and manga signals contentment.

—Peter Schjeldahl

also : an individual comic book or graphic novel of the manga genre

This black-and-white manga is based on the Japanese animated TV series of the same name …

—Library Journal

Examples of manga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pick up your copy of the manga at the front desk. —Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026

Hayashida’s manga ran for 18 years across 23 volumes starting in 2000, building an international cult readership on the strength of its grotesque body horror, deadpan humor and bleak surrealist worldbuilding. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026

Based on the 1953 manga Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka, The Ribbon Hero tells the story of a lone hero who makes the dangerous choice to defy his destiny. —Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026

The increase in viewership is complemented by the rise of manga – the comics on which most anime are based – to become the category leader in North American comics publishing, vastly outselling superheroes and other genres in the trade book channel and, increasingly, in comic book stores. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, comic, cartoon, from man- involuntary, aimless + -ga picture

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manga

• ganga
• pampanga

Kids Definition

manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel