manifesto
Americannoun
-
a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization.
-
a mission statement or other document written and disseminated by an individual or group to enumerate or expound the guiding principles and beliefs that inform their actions.
The mail bomber submitted his 35,000-word manifesto to two major national news publications.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of manifesto
First recorded in 1640–50; from Italian; see manifest (adjective)
Explanation
A manifesto is a public statement stating your views or your intention to do something. If you feel you should be voted "Most Likely to Succeed," you could issue a manifesto describing all the reasons why you deserve to win. Manifesto comes from the Italian word of the same spelling, meaning "public declaration explaining past actions and announcing the motive for forthcoming ones." You'll most often hear about a manifesto that's been issued by a group, like a political party or government — for example, a set of new rules that an incoming regime is going to enforce. Though organizations are more likely to create a manifesto, it's also possible for an individual to issue one about more personal ideas.
Vocabulary lists containing manifesto
This Week In Words: February 1–7, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Divergent
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Nelson Mandela "I am Prepared to Die" (1964)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
When Infantino was first elected in 2016, part of his manifesto was to increase the size of the World Cup from 32 teams to 40.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
"Within two hours we got some 5,000 sign-ups on the Google form... and that made me realise -- why not launch an official website and a manifesto?"
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Ahead of the Senedd election, Plaid Cymru's manifesto said it would press ahead with "including glass when this becomes practically feasible" in the deposit return scheme.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
He has also committed to Labour's manifesto promise not to increase the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance, which would limit his ability to raise significant sums from tax.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The manifesto utterly rejected the notion of trusteeship, the idea that the white government somehow had African interests at heart.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Key policy clashes have yet to develop with most manifestoes not due to be released until after Easter.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
Members of the group Love Has Won live-streamed their days and nights; they filmed and posted untold hours of preachments and online manifestoes to YouTube and Instagram Live.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
Some babysitters in the postwar period even created babysitter unions, drawing up contracts and manifestoes detailing what they would and would not do, and the working conditions they expected.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2020
It features the actress as 13 different characters — all of whom recite artist manifestoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2018
The heads of parties have sometimes issued these manifestoes; and the tails, in the form of a pamphlet, have sometimes let out secrets for which they have been reprimanded.
From Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature by Disraeli, Isaac
Both major parties released manifestos with more than 1,000 individual promises each.
From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026
Spiralism appears on subreddits, Discord servers, Facebook groups and even LinkedIn pages, where followers share AI-generated manifestos, glyphs and what followers describe as revelations from a conscious machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
This might sound unbelievable, but I’ve had many episodes of fear in this process — in manifestos I’ve made, at shows, in recordings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Although other parties have yet to publish their manifestos they have previously indicated where they stand.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
The faction manifestos were written after the factions formed.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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.
