Manhattan
Americannoun
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Also called Manhattan Island. an island in New York City surrounded by the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers. 13½ miles (22 km) long; 2½ miles (4 km) greatest width; 22¼ sq. mi. (58 sq. km).
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a borough of New York City approximately coextensive with Manhattan Island: chief business district of the city.
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a city in NE Kansas, on the Kansas River.
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(often lowercase) a cocktail made of whiskey and sweet vermouth, usually with a dash of bitters and a maraschino cherry.
noun
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an island at the N end of New York Bay, between the Hudson, East, and Harlem Rivers: administratively (with adjacent islets) a borough of New York City; a major financial, commercial, and cultural centre. Pop: 1 537 195 (2000). Area: 47 sq km (22 sq miles)
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a mixed drink consisting of four parts whisky, one part vermouth, and a dash of bitters
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Because of its noise and congestion, some have viewed it as unlivable, giving rise to the phrase “It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.” In the 1990s, it experienced prosperity and a decline in crime rates.
A center of the art world (see Greenwich Village).
Center of the country's financial industry (see Wall Street), communications industry, including advertising and television (see Madison Avenue), and fashion industry (see Fifth Avenue).
The September 11 attacks left a physical and emotional scar on Manhattan.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Decades before the July 3 wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce catapulted the venue into a new category of global prominence, the Manhattan arena loomed large as a symbol of success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The three stables that house the carriage horses sit on prime real estate in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
"To kind of put that in perspective, a busy summer weekend is usually in the 300 rescue range, 500 on the high end," Barnes told AFP on Manhattan Beach.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission is focused on billions of dollars in loans extended to companies tied to Walter or his holding company, TWG Global.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The city air was always thick with coal and dust and smoke, lower Manhattan worse than all, but this was different.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
