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.
An AFP journalist saw hundreds of protesters stretching several blocks in Manhattan on Friday chanting "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here" and "No ICE."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Tishman Speyer explained that the area "has one of the lowest office availability rates in Manhattan", adding: "Construction of new office supply in the neighbourhood has been virtually nonexistent for decades."
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Earlier in his career he reported for Law360 on litigation and criminal trials in Manhattan federal court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The city council is considering a series of measures designed to regulate the three-wheeled vehicles, often adorned in neon lights and blasting music as they shuttle visitors around Manhattan.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
She wanted to shout it from the tallest building in Manhattan.
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.
