manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə How to pronounce manga (audio)
plural manga also mangas
: Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre
The characters' faces beam the big-eyed, manically jolly winsomeness that in anime and manga signals contentment.Peter Schjeldahl
also : an individual comic book or graphic novel of the manga genre
This black-and-white manga is based on the Japanese animated TV series of the same name … Library Journal

Examples of manga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Netflix and Sony’s anime specialty platform Crunchyroll will both stream the upcoming Japanese anime series Dan Da Dan, an adaptation of the manga of the same name created by Yukinobu Tatsu. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Organizations all over the world commemorated Toriyama’s passing with references to his works, like the Dragon Ball manga series or the Dragon Quest series of video games. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 It’s also credited as popularizing the medium of manga across the globe, further bolstered by its various anime adaptations’ enduring audience in Western countries. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 The artist’s Dragon Ball manga series was later serialized in 1984, also making its debut in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 The 22-page comic written by Eric M. Esquivel and illustrated by manga artist Lucy Fidelis Arts, will be available in digital and print formats across a variety of platforms. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Jan. 2024 Artists, publishers and museums are trying to preserve original drawings of artwork in comic books TOKYO—When Keiko Takemiya made her manga debut in 1968, her publisher told her that her original drawings for the comic books could be thrown out. Chieko Tsuneoka, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2023 The live-action remake from earlier this year was something of a unicorn, managing to score great reviews from both critics and hard-to-please anime/manga fans. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Naruto, one of the most popular mangas of all time, is headed to the big-screen. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'manga.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, comic, cartoon, from man- involuntary, aimless + -ga picture

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manga was circa 1951

Dictionary Entries Near manga

Cite this Entry

“Manga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manga. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

manga

noun
man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə How to pronounce manga (audio)
: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel

More from Merriam-Webster on manga

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