What does "cartoon" mean?
A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
Cartoon
/kɑːˈtuːn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
- Grammar: cartoon is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: sketch, 3-d, animated cartoon, animated cartoon.
- Useful contrasts: documentary, lifelike, live action.
- Usage evidence: I borrowed this cartoon from his older sister.
How to use "cartoon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cartoon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cartoon" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cartoon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cartoon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cartoon" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "sketch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cartoon", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
- 2 a film made by photographing a series of cartoon drawings to give the illusion of movement when projected in rapid sequence wordnet
- 3 A drawing satirising current public figures.
"The newspaper published a political cartoon mocking the mayor."
- 4 a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine wordnet
- 5 An artist's preliminary sketch.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A full-sized drawing that serves as the template for a fresco, a tapestry, etc.
- 7 An animated piece of film which is often but not exclusively humorous.
"The children watched a funny cartoon on TV."
- 8 A cartoon series.
"12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled."
- 9 A diagram in a scientific concept.
Verb
- 1 To draw a cartoon, a humorous drawing.
- 2 draw cartoons of wordnet
- 3 To make a preliminary sketch.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I borrowed this cartoon from his older sister."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cartoon"?
Common synonyms include: sketch, 3-d, animated cartoon, animated cartoon, animated film, animated short.
How do you use "cartoon" in a sentence?
I borrowed this cartoon from his older sister.
How do you pronounce "cartoon"?
Pronounced /kɑːˈtuːn/.
Etymology
In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for further etymology). Doublet of carton and card.