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
For the first time, The Walt Disney Company is assembling its full animation arsenal for a united front at the Annecy Festival, which will take place June 8 to 14 this summer.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Films must be 20 minutes or less, including credits, in two categories, live action and animation, according to a news release.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
An animation shows all 1,800 cells along a single column of visual cortex in a mouse's brain.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
What Lunar lacks in gameplay complexity it more than makes up for in wonderful animations, captivating characters, and riveting music.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animation
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Jamie Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Films must be 20 minutes or less, including credits, in two categories, live action and animation, according to a news release.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
An animation shows all 1,800 cells along a single column of visual cortex in a mouse's brain.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
What Lunar lacks in gameplay complexity it more than makes up for in wonderful animations, captivating characters, and riveting music.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animation
Cite this Entry
“Animation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animation. Accessed 24 Apr. 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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