animation

animation — noun

1. a film, short clip, or technique in which drawings or computer pictures are show

1.nounB1
Definition

a film, short clip, or technique in which drawings or computer pictures are shown one after another so that the figures appear to move; also the work of producing this kind of film.

Example

Pixar is famous for animation that makes simple toys feel like real characters with feelings.

The teacher showed a short animation of how blood travels around the human body.

an animation of + noun for explaining a process

Common collocations
  • computer animation
  • 3D animation
  • stop-motion animation
  • study animation
  • animation studio
Synonyms
  • cartoon

    more informal; usually a short funny film aimed at children

  • CGI

    specifically computer-generated imagery, often used inside live-action films

  • anime

    Japanese-style animation, with a distinct visual look

Antonyms
  • live action

    films made with real actors and real cameras, not drawings

Grammar Patterns

computer animation

an animation of + noun

Usage Note

Countable when referring to a single film or clip ('an animation', 'two animations'); uncountable when referring to the technique or industry ('study animation', 'work in animation'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense always involves moving pictures, never a person's manner.

Common Mistakes

I want to study animations at university.
I want to study animation at university.
when talking about the field of study, use the uncountable form.

2. a lively, excited quality in the way someone speaks, moves, or acts, showing the

2.nounC1
Definition

a lively, excited quality in the way someone speaks, moves, or acts, showing they are clearly interested in something.

Example

Vesna described her summer in Kyoto with great animation, waving her hands as she spoke.

with + animation for showing lively manner

The old professor's face lost all its animation when the students stopped asking questions.

Common collocations
  • with great animation
  • full of animation
  • lose animation
  • speak with animation
Synonyms
  • liveliness

    near-synonym in everyday writing; less formal-sounding than animation

  • vivacity

    more literary; suggests a permanent personality trait rather than a passing mood

  • enthusiasm

    focuses on eager interest in a topic, not on visible body language

Antonyms
  • lethargy

    stresses tiredness or lack of physical energy

  • dullness

    general flatness in tone or behaviour

Grammar Patterns

with + animation

full of + animation

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable and used after 'with', 'full of', or 'lack of'. Subject is typically a person, a face, or a voice rather than an event.

Common Mistakes

He gave a great animation to the room.
He brought great animation to the room.
animation is uncountable in this sense, so avoid 'a/an' or counting it.

Word family

  • animate
    verbC1
  • animated
    adjectiveB2
  • animator
    nounB2
  • inanimate
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe images that appear to move, but learners use them in clearly different situations. 'Animation' is the broadest and most neutral term — it covers the whole technique and industry, from hand-drawn shorts to feature-length 3D films, and it is the right choice in academic or professional contexts ('a degree in animation'). 'Cartoon' is more informal and usually means a short, often comic film aimed at children, such as a Saturday-morning TV show. 'Anime' refers specifically to Japanese-style animation with its distinct visual look and storytelling, like Studio Ghibli films. 'CGI' (computer-generated imagery) names the technique of building images on a computer; it is often mixed into live-action movies rather than standing alone, as when dragons are added to a fantasy film.

animation ↗cartoon ↗anime ↗CGI

Common collocations

Nouns

  • animation studio
  • animation industry
  • animation film
  • animation software

Adverbs

  • beautifully animated
  • smoothly animated

Phrases

  • computer animation
  • 3D animation
  • stop-motion animation
  • Japanese animation

Prepositions

  • with animation
  • full of animation
  • in animation

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Animation comes from the Latin verb 'animare', meaning 'to give life to', which itself is built on 'anima' ('breath, soul'). It entered English in the early 1600s through French, first describing the act of bringing something to life or the lively quality of a person. The film-related meaning is much newer: it grew up in the early twentieth century alongside the invention of the motion picture, when artists began photographing drawings frame by frame so that they appeared to move on screen. Today both senses live side by side in everyday English.