anime

American  

[an-uh-mey] / ˈæn əˌmeɪ /

noun

Graphic Arts.

1. a genre of film and television animation created in or influenced by the traditional style of Japanese 2D animation and characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, fantastic settings, and mature themes.

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animé ¹ British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ, -mɪ /

noun

1. any of various resins, esp that obtained from the tropical American leguminous tree Hymenaea courbaril

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animé ² British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

adjective

1. music the French word for animato

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anime ³ British  

/ ˈænɪˌmeɪ /

noun

1. a type of Japanese animated film with themes and styles similar to manga comics

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Etymology

Origin of anime

First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese, borrowing of English animation ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does anime compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• manga vs. anime

Example Sentences

That could be because of the detailed, beautiful backgrounds in anime, or because of a deeper "cultural tradition of emphasising form".

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

"The 'Japan' portrayed in an anime world is often quite different from how Japanese society is", said Marika Sato, a 29-year-old who works in marketing in Tokyo.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Scribbles, doodles, crayon marks and stickers — evoking Lisa Frank and anime cartoons — have begun appearing on prominent Gen Z contemporary fiction covers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Sony’s entertainment business, including games, music, film and anime, could benefit from sustained growth in global demand for content, the ratings company says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

It became a habit for six whole months, the three of us sitting together during our free period, talking about anime and manga.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender