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

Explanation

Manifold is a smarty-pants way to say "varied," "many," or "multiple." There are many good reasons to expand your vocabulary, so you could say the benefits of learning new words are manifold. Manifold sounds like "many fold," which is what it is — something with many features, like a wallet with lots of folds so stuffed with junk that makes you sit funny when it's in your back pocket. As an adjective, manifold loves to appear in books, like Mrs. Gryce in Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth," whose "domestic duties were manifold." As a noun, a manifold is a pipe branching into many openings, often found in car engines.

Example Sentences

No, the opposition toward the candidate is viciously intense, shockingly manifold, and wide-ranging to the point of sounding almost existential.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Elizabeth Bernstein writes a column for The Wall Street Journal that explores social psychology and the manifold aspects of human interactions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Argentina does have attractions to offset its manifold challenges.

From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025

New economic prospects around music ownership opened up only after private radio stations started acquiring licences from music owners for hefty amounts, and grew manifold with online streaming.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

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

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