cartoon

cartoon — noun

1. a picture drawn for a newspaper or a magazine that is meant to be funny or to cr

1.nounA2
Definition

a picture drawn for a newspaper or a magazine that is meant to be funny or to criticize something, often showing an opinion about politics or daily events

Example

Leila showed us a cartoon from the paper making fun of the new traffic rules.

cartoon + from + [publication]

The editorial page always has a political cartoon about the biggest news of the day.

political cartoon

Common collocations
  • political cartoon
  • editorial cartoon
  • cartoon about
  • cartoon in
  • draw a cartoon
  • publish a cartoon
Synonyms
  • caricature

    emphasizes exaggerated features of a person; more artistic than a political cartoon

  • sketch

    a quick, simple drawing; not necessarily humorous or political

Grammar Patterns

cartoon + about [topic]

cartoon + in [publication]

Usage Note

This sense always refers to a still drawing, not an animated film. Often appears with the adjectives 'political' or 'editorial', or with a topic after 'about'.

Common Mistakes

My little brother loves watching cartoons on TV.' (when referring to animated films)
My little brother loves watching cartoons on TV.
This example is actually correct for sense 3 (FILM), not sense 1. For sense 1: ✅ 'My grandfather reads the newspaper cartoons every morning.' — A newspaper cartoon is a single drawing, not a moving picture.

2. a detailed drawing that an artist makes as a first plan or study for a later pai

2.nounB2
Definition

a detailed drawing that an artist makes as a first plan or study for a later painting, wall painting, or other large piece of art

Example

The artist's cartoon for the church wall painting shows angels around a central figure.

cartoon + for + [final artwork]

Art historians studied the Renaissance cartoon to understand how the painter planned the final work.

Renaissance cartoon

Common collocations
  • preparatory cartoon
  • full-size cartoon
  • cartoon for
  • cartoon by
Synonyms
  • study

    any preparatory drawing done before a finished artwork; can be less detailed than a cartoon

  • preparatory drawing

    a more general term for any rough plan before the final piece

Grammar Patterns

cartoon + for [final artwork]

Usage Note

This is a specialized art-history term. In this sense, 'cartoon' refers specifically to a full-scale drawing on paper that an artist transfers onto a wall or canvas before painting. Distinguish from sense 1 (FUNNY DRAWING), which is the everyday meaning.

Common Mistakes

I bought a funny cartoon at the gift shop.' (mixing up senses)
I bought a funny cartoon at the gift shop.
This is correct for sense 1 if it is a humorous drawing. For sense 2, a cartoon is a preparation for a painting, not something sold as a finished product.

3. a short movie or TV program made by putting many drawn or computer-made pictures

3.nounA2
Definition

a short movie or TV program made by putting many drawn or computer-made pictures in a quick sequence so that the characters and objects appear to move

Example

The kids watched a cartoon about a rabbit and a clever fox.

cartoon + about [topic]

Yusuf's favorite cartoon is the one where a little fish travels across the ocean.

Common collocations
  • watch cartoons
  • cartoon about
  • cartoon film
  • cartoon character
  • cartoon show
  • Saturday-morning cartoon
Synonyms
  • animation

    the general technique or industry; more formal than 'cartoon'

  • animated film

    the full term; used for feature-length movies in particular

Grammar Patterns

cartoon + about [topic]

watch + cartoons

Usage Note

The most common meaning for children's media. In informal speech, 'cartoon' is often shortened to 'toon' (e.g., 'Saturday-morning toons'). 'Animated film' or 'animation' is more formal.

Common Mistakes

The cartoon in the newspaper was very funny this morning.' (confusing with sense 1)
The cartoon in the newspaper was very funny this morning.
This is correct for sense 1. For sense 3, use: ✅ 'The cartoon on TV was very funny this morning.'

4. a set of drawings inside connected frames that together tell a short story, ofte

4.nounB1
Definition

a set of drawings inside connected frames that together tell a short story, often published in a newspaper or on a website

Example

Nadia reads the same cartoon every day in the newspaper because she loves the characters.

read + cartoon + in [publication]

The Sunday paper has a full page of cartoons with different stories and funny moments.

Common collocations
  • cartoon strip
  • cartoon series
  • read a cartoon
  • cartoon about
  • daily cartoon
  • Sunday cartoon
Synonyms
  • comic strip

    the more precise term for a multi-panel story; slightly more formal

  • comic

    everyday short form; can also mean a comic book

Grammar Patterns

cartoon + about [topic]

read + cartoons

Usage Note

Sometimes called a 'comic strip' or just 'comic'. Unlike sense 1 (a single drawing), this sense involves multiple panels in a sequence. Unlike sense 3 (FILM), these are still images, not moving pictures.

Common Mistakes

She drew a cartoon for her art class project.' (too vague — which sense?)
She drew a cartoon strip for her art class project about a superhero cat.
Adding 'strip' makes it clear it is a series of panels, not a single drawing or an animated film.

Word family

  • cartoonist
    nounB1
  • cartoonish
    adjectiveB2
  • cartoony
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all involve drawings, but each focuses on a different purpose. A 'cartoon' is a humorous or satirical drawing in a newspaper or magazine — its main job is to make a point or raise a laugh about current events. A 'caricature' is a specific kind of portrait that exaggerates a person's physical features (big nose, huge ears) for comic effect; it is usually about a real person. A 'comic strip' is a series of drawings in connected boxes that tell a story or joke over several panels, often with speech bubbles. A 'sketch' is the broadest term — any quick, rough drawing, not necessarily intended to be funny or published. For example, a newspaper might print a cartoon about a politician, while an artist at a fair might draw a caricature of someone's face, and a designer might sketch furniture ideas in a notebook.

cartoon ↗caricaturecomic strip ↗sketch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • cartoon character
  • cartoon film
  • cartoon series
  • cartoon strip

Prepositions

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'cartoon' comes from Italian 'cartone', meaning a large sheet of paper or pasteboard. In the 1600s, English borrowed it as 'cartoon' to mean a strong paper or a drawing on paper. By the 1800s, artists used the word for preparatory sketches for paintings (sense 2). Around the 1840s, the British magazine Punch began using 'cartoon' for its funny satirical drawings (sense 1), and that became the most popular meaning. Later, with the invention of motion pictures in the early 1900s, animated films became called 'cartoons' too (sense 3). The comic-strip meaning (sense 4) developed alongside the newspaper industry.