Manhattan

American  

[man-hat-n, muhn-] / mænˈhæt n, mən- /

noun

1. 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).

2. a borough of New York City approximately coextensive with Manhattan Island: chief business district of the city.

3. a city in NE Kansas, on the Kansas River.

4. (often lowercase) a cocktail made of whiskey and sweet vermouth, usually with a dash of bitters and a maraschino cherry.

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Manhattan British  

/ mænˈhætən, mən- /

noun

1. 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)

2. a mixed drink consisting of four parts whisky, one part vermouth, and a dash of bitters

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Manhattan Cultural  

1. Island that constitutes one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. (See also Bowery, Broadway (see also Broadway), Central Park, Harlem, Park Avenue, Times Square, and World Trade Center.)

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Discover More

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

See Examples For:

Manhattan

Cuomo’s living arrangements became a point of interest during the race, when he was residing in a Manhattan rental that reportedly cost around $8,000 per month.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Designers in the Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca envision new styles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Wang grew up in New Mexico, where his parents worked as physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the famous site of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The earthquake occurred 4 miles from Redondo Beach, 4 miles from Hermosa Beach, 4 miles from Manhattan Beach and 5 miles from Palos Verdes Estates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Annie and I stared off into the tip of Manhattan.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman