manifesto

American  

[man-uh-fes-toh] / ˌmæn əˈfɛs toʊ /

noun

plural

manifestoes

1. a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization.

2. 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.

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manifesto British  

/ ˌmænɪˈfɛstəʊ /

noun

1. a public declaration of intent, policy, aims, etc, as issued by a political party, government, or movement

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Other Word Forms

• countermanifesto
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

And he doesn’t seem to think too hard about any of his controversial decisions: He had a copy of Mein Kampf, he said, simply because he collects “historic books,” including The Communist Manifesto.

From Slate • Mar. 9, 2026

They premised their secret proposal, the Ostend Manifesto External link, on national defense.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

Evaristo's other books include satirical novel Blonde Roots and a memoir, Manifesto: On Never Giving Up.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, author of the 1909 Futurist Manifesto, and a group of like-minded artists, dropped manifestoes from the top of the Campanile into the Piazza San Marco.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2024

The only thing that matters is the forward thrust and the way I feel as I hurtle toward the Great Manifesto.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Related Words

• platform
• proclamation