manipulate
[ muh-nip-yuh-leyt ]
/ məˈnɪp yəˌleɪt /
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verb (used with object), ma·nip·u·lat·ed, ma·nip·u·lat·ing.
to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner: to manipulate people's feelings.
to handle, manage, or use, especially with skill, in some process of treatment or performance: to manipulate a large tractor.
to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage.
Medicine/Medical. to examine or treat by skillful use of the hands, as in palpation, reduction of dislocations, or changing the position of a fetus.
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Origin of manipulate
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from manipulation
OTHER WORDS FROM manipulate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for manipulate
British Dictionary definitions for manipulate
manipulate
/ (məˈnɪpjʊˌleɪt) /
verb
(tr) to handle or use, esp with some skill, in a process or actionto manipulate a pair of scissors
to negotiate, control, or influence (something or someone) cleverly, skilfully, or deviously
to falsify (a bill, accounts, etc) for one's own advantage
(in physiotherapy) to examine or treat manually, as in loosening a joint
Derived forms of manipulate
Word Origin for manipulate
C19: back formation from manipulation, from Latin manipulus handful
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for manipulate
manipulate
[ mə-nĭp′yə-lāt′ ]
v.
To handle and move in an examination or for therapeutic purposes.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.