manipulation
Americannoun
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the act of manipulating.
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the state or fact of being manipulated.
-
skillful or artful management.
Etymology
Origin of manipulation
First recorded in 1720–30; from French, equivalent to manipule “handful” ( maniple ) + -ation -ation
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.
Not disclosing digital manipulation of your photos has left you in a personal moral quandary.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Lively's legal team have accused Baldoni and his film studio Wayfarer of leading a "multi-tiered plan" to wreck her reputation, which included social media manipulation and using friendly journalists to further certain narratives.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Polymarket also agreed to work with MLB to restrict event contracts that pose “integrity risk,” where outcomes triggered by the actions of, say, pitchers, managers or umpires could be subject to manipulation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Muddy Waters has accused the company of accounting manipulation partly to benefit its chief executive, claiming that “without these manipulations, CEO Noto would lose most—if not all—of his performance bonus.”
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
The crimes committed by Enron included hidden partnerships, disguised debt, and the manipulation of energy markets.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
