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

The "Costume Art" exhibit, which opens on May 10 at the venerable museum in Manhattan, will seek to explore the "dressed body" in artworks across the centuries.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

The brightest stars in Hollywood, music, sports and style will hit the red carpet Monday for the Met Gala, the extravagant Manhattan charity ball that this year spotlights the intersection between fashion and art.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Giuliani first gained national attention as a prosecutor in the Justice Department during the Reagan administration, and later became U.S. attorney in Manhattan.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

When Mr. Giuliani took office, Mr. Salam was a student at Stuyvesant High, a selective public school in Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

I’ll have to wait until Cleopatra’s Needle gets to Manhattan.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman