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.)
Synonyms
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
The animation hasn’t aged well, at all, but it was generally regarded as being impressive at the time.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The opening credits revitalize the classic 1960s theme song with a modern sound that encapsulates the idea of the series blending classic elements like the Steve Ditko-esque animation style with newer sensibilities.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
In several instances throughout a video, an animation of a French fry goes inside the hole of a doughnut.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
The other nominees represented a wide spectrum of animation styles and largely leaned on humor and animals — or both.
—Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for animation 
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James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The opening credits revitalize the classic 1960s theme song with a modern sound that encapsulates the idea of the series blending classic elements like the Steve Ditko-esque animation style with newer sensibilities.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
In several instances throughout a video, an animation of a French fry goes inside the hole of a doughnut.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
The other nominees represented a wide spectrum of animation styles and largely leaned on humor and animals — or both.
—Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for animation
Articles Related to animation
Dictionary Entries Near animation
Cite this Entry
“Animation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animation. Accessed 14 Feb. 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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