animation
noun
an·i·ma·tion
ˌa-nə-ˈmā-shən 
plural animations
2
: a movie, scene, or sequence that simulates movement from a series of still frames (such as drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects moved incrementally)
His work often condenses stories of intricate subjects into brief looping animations.—
Paul Tough
Paul ToughThe work, titled Bigger Christmas Trees, was created on an iPad and features ten minutes of animation.—Julia Binswanger
Julia BinswangerAnd as the animation above shows, this tilt causes the Moon's shadow to miss the Earth.—Tom Yulsman
Tom Yulsman3
: the preparation of animation (as for animated cartoons, video games, commercials, etc.)
Examples of animation in a Sentence
The animation for the film took over two years to complete.
The studio used computer animation for some of the special effects.
The website has hundreds of animations you can download.
Recent Examples on the Web
Six years of handmade work: puppets, animatronics, matte paintings, and a bit of 3D animation.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
The series has since become a cornerstone of Two Daughters Entertainment’s growing animation portfolio.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Jumping on the animation bandwagon, TikTok user Roger G questioned the purpose of the new film in the franchise's lineup.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Veteran animation director, Cal Brunker, returns to direct PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and serves as co-writer for the film alongside Bob Barlen.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animation
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Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
The series has since become a cornerstone of Two Daughters Entertainment’s growing animation portfolio.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Jumping on the animation bandwagon, TikTok user Roger G questioned the purpose of the new film in the franchise's lineup.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Veteran animation director, Cal Brunker, returns to direct PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and serves as co-writer for the film alongside Bob Barlen.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animation
Articles Related to animation
Cite this Entry
“Animation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animation. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
animation
noun
an·i·ma·tion
ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən
1
: the state of being animate or animated
2
a
: a film made by photographing a series of positions of objects (as puppets)
b
3
: the making of animations
Medical Definition
animation
noun
an·i·ma·tion
ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən
: the state of being animate or animated see suspended animation
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