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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was serialized on Kadokawa’s ComicWalker web manga service under FromSoftware’s supervision before being collected into a single volume. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 One example, a little bit more concrete, is Asian pop culture and anime, manga and so on. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 The actor is a longtime fan of anime and manga and is also extremely proficient in martial arts. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 The market traces its origins to the Tokyo Story Market, a dedicated service for screen adaptation rights covering Japanese manga and novels, which launched at TIFFCOM in 2023. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manga

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

Rhymes for manga

See All Rhymes for manga

Browse Nearby Words

mang
manga
mangabeira
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Cite this Entry

“Manga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manga. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about manga

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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