Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly anime or manga.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Japanese おたく ("geek, nerd"). Originally refers to one's household. Considered pejorative when used in Japanese.

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Examples

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  • In Japan, an otaku is a person with an obsession about something. i.e. anime, video games, trains, idols, etc. It can range from knowing all the information about a subject to creating a collection. In North America, the term refers to someone who likes Japanese anime or manga.

    July 19, 2009

  • Enthusiasms will surely mark you:

    A scholar if you love bunraku;

    A discerning man

    If basebaru fan,

    Eccentric if you are otaku.

    November 11, 2015

  • My innate gaijin response is that this is every Japanese person.

    November 11, 2015