noun
manga
MANG-guh
noun
1
A comic or graphic novel originating in Japan.
"She spends her allowance on manga from the import bookstore."
"The library added a whole shelf of manga last year."
2
The distinctive art style associated with Japanese comics, now also used by artists outside Japan.
"His webcomic is drawn in a manga style, right down to the big eyes."
How to Use Manga
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishJapanese comic books, or comics anywhere drawn in that same visual style.
Common mistake
Manga refers to the comics themselves; anime is the animated adaptations. They are related but not interchangeable.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
read manga
manga series
manga artist
Word Forms
manga plural, mangas plural, mangas plural, mangas plural
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She spends her allowance on _____ from the import bookstore.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese manga, itself from Chinese characters meaning roughly "free, unrestrained" plus "drawing." The word took off after an 1814 book by the artist Hokusai used it as a title.