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  

/ mən-, mænˈhætən /

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

The newly formed tabular iceberg, also known as an 'ice island', is roughly the size of Manhattan and may be as much as 150 meters thick.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Over the next several days, DOJ and Live Nation attorneys in court made their opening statements and began to question witnesses, while Sullivan & Cromwell’s McDonald hosted settlement talks at the firm’s Manhattan office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Donations have come from the local community, and as far afield as Australia and Manhattan, he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Tom Berenger plays a married Queens cop assigned to protect wealthy Manhattan murder witness Mimi Rogers, while a pre-”Sopranos” Lorraine Bracco portrays the wife he leaves waiting at home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Fred couldn’t believe all the tall, shiny buildings when they drove into midtown Manhattan for their first rehearsal.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein