manifold

American  

[man-uh-fohld] / ˈmæn əˌfoʊld /

adjective

1. of many kinds; numerous and varied.

   manifold duties.

   Synonyms:

   multitudinous, various

   Antonyms:

   single, simple

2. having numerous different parts, elements, features, forms, etc..

   a manifold program for social reform.

   Synonyms:

   multifarious, divers, varied

3. using, functioning with, or operating several similar or identical devices at the same time.

4. (of paper business forms) made up of a number of sheets interleaved with carbon paper.

5. being such or so designated for many reasons.

   a manifold enemy.

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noun

1. something having many different parts or features.

2. a copy or facsimile, as of something written, such as is made by manifolding.

3. any thin, inexpensive paper for making carbon copies on a typewriter.

4. Machinery. a chamber having several outlets through which a liquid or gas is distributed or gathered.

5. Philosophy. (in Kantian epistemology) the totality of discrete items of experience as presented to the mind; the constituents of a sensory experience.

6. Mathematics. a topological space that is connected and locally Euclidean.

verb (used with object)

1. to make copies of, as with carbon paper.

manifold British  

/ ˈmænɪˌfəʊld /

adjective

1. of several different kinds; multiple

   manifold reasons

2. having many different forms, features, or elements

   manifold breeds of dog

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noun

1. something having many varied parts, forms, or features

2. a copy of a page, book, etc

3. a chamber or pipe with a number of inlets or outlets used to collect or distribute a fluid. In an internal-combustion engine the inlet manifold carries the vaporized fuel from the carburettor to the inlet ports and the exhaust manifold carries the exhaust gases away

4. maths

   1. a collection of objects or a set

   2. a topological space having specific properties

5. (in the philosophy of Kant) the totality of the separate elements of sensation which are then organized by the active mind and conceptualized as a perception of an external object

verb

1. (tr) to duplicate (a page, book, etc)

2. to make manifold; multiply

manifold Scientific  

/ măn′ə-fōld′ /

1. A topological space or surface.

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Related Words

See many.

Other Word Forms

• manifolder noun
• manifoldly adverb
• manifoldness noun

Etymology

Origin of manifold

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English manigf(e)ald (adjective). See many, -fold

Example Sentences

Complex manifold systems and pump networks blend the oil to strict contract specifications before loading it onto ships for transport to customers around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

He has led the way in asking citizens of his state to face the death penalty’s manifold injustices.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

Nonbanks, including technology firms, have been allowed to do business that closely resembles banking, with no constraints on manifold conflicts of interest.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

In mechanics, a manifold valve controls where fluids flow.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2025

She continued to gaze at Resch, now with manifold hostility and aversion.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick