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
And big the idea got, spawning several versions of the game through the years and a fan base that gobbled up merchandise and even a children’s cartoon, all of which are highlighted in the exhibit.
—
Heather McRea, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
For instance, products depicting a human, animal, fruit or a cartoon are not allowed.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025
Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA
PRESS PASSED – Press dismissed report on Biden's memory issues long before concerns became undeniable.
—FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
The Ramirez cartoon demeans these hardworking Americans whose earnings leave them unable to afford private health insurance and perpetuates the fiction that Medicaid recipients are freeloaders.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
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Heather McRea, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
For instance, products depicting a human, animal, fruit or a cartoon are not allowed.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025
Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA
PRESS PASSED – Press dismissed report on Biden's memory issues long before concerns became undeniable.
—FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
The Ramirez cartoon demeans these hardworking Americans whose earnings leave them unable to afford private health insurance and perpetuates the fiction that Medicaid recipients are freeloaders.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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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