What does cartooning mean?
Cartooning is the art and craft of creating cartoons — humorous, satirical, or narrative illustrations ranging from single-panel gag drawings and editorial caricatures to comic strips and animated films. As a noun, it names the activity or profession rather than any individual drawing: one might say that editorial cartooning plays a vital role in political commentary, or that she turned her talent for cartooning into a career in animation. The word derives from 'cartoon', which entered English from French and ultimately Italian 'cartone', meaning a large sheet of cardboard — originally referring to full-size preparatory sketches for paintings or tapestries before acquiring its modern humorous sense in the nineteenth century. Cartooning is generally neutral to positive in tone and appears frequently in contexts involving newspapers, magazines, graphic novels, and animation studios. It is uncountable, so it takes no plural form.
nounThe activity, art, or profession of drawing cartoons — humorous or satirical illustrations, comic strips, or animated films.
- The activity or profession of drawing humorous or satirical illustrations.
- The broader craft of creating comics and animated cartoons.
"Her cartooning for the newspaper earned a national journalism award."
"Editorial cartooning has long been a sharp instrument of political accountability."
"He studied animation and spent his early career cartooning for children's television."
The word 'cartoon' originally meant a full-scale preparatory drawing for a fresco or tapestry — it only came to mean a funny picture after Punch magazine used it ironically in the 1840s.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cartooning come from?
Cartooning derives from 'cartoon', which entered English in the seventeenth century via French 'carton' from Italian 'cartone', a diminutive of 'carta' (paper), itself from Latin 'charta'. Originally a cartoon was a large preparatory drawing on paper or card for a fresco or tapestry. In the mid-nineteenth century, when Punch magazine parodied such designs in humorous drawings, the word acquired its modern sense, and 'cartooning' came to denote the practice of making them. Cognates include 'carton', 'card', and 'charter'.
How cartooning is actually used
Cartooning is an uncountable noun referring to the activity or discipline rather than individual drawings. It carries a neutral-to-positive register and is common in discussions of journalism, publishing, and animation.
Easily confused with cartooning
A cartoon is the drawing or animated film itself; cartooning is the practice or craft of creating such drawings.