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Dictionary / manifest

manifest

/ˈmæn.ɪ.fɛst/ (UK, US)/ˈmæn.ə.fɛst/ (UK, US)syllables: man·i·fest
  • adjective
  • noun
  • verb
  • from Latin

Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “manifest” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

adjective

  1. Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.

    Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight[…]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 4:13:

  2. Obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.
  3. rarewith ofDetect; convicted.
Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun

  1. A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.

    ship's manifest

  2. A file containing metadata describing other files.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. obsoleteA public declaration; an open statement; a manifesto.
Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

  1. transitiveTo show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit.

    His courage manifested itself through the look on his face.

  2. intransitiveTo become manifest; to be revealed.

    His osteoporosis first manifested as pain in his hips.

  3. informaltransitiveTo will something to exist.

    The process of creating your treasure map is a powerful step toward manifesting your goal. Now just spend a few minutes each day looking at it[…]1982, Shakti Gawain, The Creative Visualization Workbook:

  4. transitiveTo exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices of; to declare at the customhouse.
Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (5)
  1. nouna customs document listing the contents put on a ship or plane
  2. verbprovide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes — also: attest, certify, demonstrate, evidence
  3. verbrecord in a ship's manifest
  4. verbreveal its presence or make an appearance
  5. adjectiveclearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment — also: apparent, evident, patent, plain, unmistakable
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: apparent, plain, clear, distinct, obvious, palpable, patent

Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)manifest
  2. Middle Englishmanifest
  3. Latinmanifestus
  4. Latinmanus “hand”

From Middle English manifest, manifeste, from Latin manifestus, manufestus (“palpable, manifest”), from Latin manus (“hand”) + an uncertain second element. Doublet of manifesto.

Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “manifest”

immanifestmanifestlymanifestnessnonmanifestpremanifestunmanifestmanifestomanifestablemanifestationmanifestativenonmanifestingunmanifesting

Phrases & compounds

manifest destinyflight interruption manifestmanifest filemanifest typing

Related terms

infest
Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “manifest” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “manifest” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Latin
Latin manifestus
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin manus

The source marks part of this history as uncertain (it uses words like “perhaps” or “possibly”). Read the full etymology above before treating any single origin as certain.

Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Built from
manus “hand”

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

manifest a. [F. manifeste, L. manifestus, lit., struck by the hand, hence, palpable; manus hand + fendere (in comp.) to strike. See Manual, and Defend.]

  1. Evident to the senses, esp. to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.
  2. Detected; convicted; -- with of.

manifest n. [Cf. F. manifeste. See Manifest, a., and cf. Manifesto.]

  1. A public declaration; an open statement; a manifesto. See Manifesto.
  2. A list or invoice of a ship's cargo, containing a description by marks, numbers, etc., of each package of goods, to be exhibited at the customhouse; as, to inspect the ship's manifest.

manifest v. t.

  1. To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, -- usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit.
  2. To exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices of; to declare at the customhouse.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

adjectiveMeaning: Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight[…]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 4:13:

nounMeaning: A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.

ship's manifest

Near-synonyms: bill of lading, waybill

verbMeaning: To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit.

His courage manifested itself through the look on his face.

And usually this manifests as them trying to prove their parent's criticism's and belittlings wrong.1988, Dennis Marcellino, Sweeping it under the drug, page 123:

verbMeaning: To become manifest; to be revealed.

His osteoporosis first manifested as pain in his hips.

verbMeaning: To will something to exist.

The process of creating your treasure map is a powerful step toward manifesting your goal. Now just spend a few minutes each day looking at it[…]1982, Shakti Gawain, The Creative Visualization Workbook:

Undaunted by poverty, I decided to manifest a new car.2014, Adrian Calabrese, How to Get Everything You Ever Wanted: Complete Guide to Using Your Psychic Common Sense:

verbMeaning: provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication

verbMeaning: record in a ship's manifest

each passenger must be manifested

verbMeaning: reveal its presence or make an appearance

the ghost manifests each year on the same day

adjectiveMeaning: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

manifest disapproval

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “manifest” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 9

Say it, then spell it

manifest

/ˈmæn.ɪ.fɛst/ · man·i·fest

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

manifest

/ˈmæn.ɪ.fɛst/ · man·i·fest · adjective, noun, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “manifest” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (adjective) Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.
2. (adjective) Obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.
3. (adjective) Detect; convicted.
4. (noun) A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.
5. (noun) A file containing metadata describing other files.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“ship's manifest”

A. A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.
B. A file containing metadata describing other files.
C. To become manifest; to be revealed.

Circle the meaning used.

“His courage manifested itself through the look on his face.”

A. Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.
B. To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit.
C. Detect; convicted.

Circle the meaning used.

“His osteoporosis first manifested as pain in his hips.”

A. To become manifest; to be revealed.
B. Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.
C. A file containing metadata describing other files.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “manifest” come into English from?   A. Ancient Greek  B. Latin  C. Late Latin  D. Middle Dutch

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “manifest” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “manifest” to mean: Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.
Write a sentence using “manifest” to mean: Obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.
Write a sentence using “manifest” to mean: Detect; convicted.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — manifest

Which meaning, sentence 1: A. A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.

Which meaning, sentence 2: B. To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit.

Which meaning, sentence 3: A. To become manifest; to be revealed.

Origin: B. Latin (Latin manifestus)

Journey: English manifest ← Middle English manifest ← Latin manifestus ← Latin manus

Some derivatives: immanifest, manifestly, manifestness, nonmanifest, premanifest, unmanifest, manifesto, manifestable

Built from: manus “hand”

Etymology: From Middle English manifest, manifeste, from Latin manifestus, manufestus (“palpable, manifest”), from Latin manus (“hand”) + an uncertain second element. Doublet of manifesto.

Sources: Wiktionary “manifest” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/manifest#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/manifest