Many people are wrong about that anime is a cartoon and they call it as "cartoon". But we know that it is NOT a cartoon.
I will explain it in short way. Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well as children. But the cartoon is a film using animation techniques to photograph a sequence of drawings rather than real people or objects.
So what is the difference?
In a basic way; the difference is anime is not just for fun or it's not an empty stuff. It has a main issue and intention to tell something. So, when you watch an anime you can acquire many things about anything. I'm not saying that you can acquire it from all animes, but from many of them. And also it includes all kind of generation. For example look at Studio Ghibli works, Hayao Miyazaki movies. It effects you and make you realise about somethings right?
Cartoon is just for fun and for spend free times. It's not include all generation and it dont have many kinds like anime. Maybe you can acquire somethings from it, but its not same as you get it from an anime.
I love cartoon and anime. Its not the thing here.
The thing is we cant put them in same basket, we cant say that two of it same.
Also that not true thing to call anime like cartoon. Its not, its a part of Japanese culture and aims to show some pieces of it.