manipulation

American  

[muh-nip-yuh-ley-shuhn] / məˌnɪp yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of manipulating.

2. the state or fact of being manipulated.

3. skillful or artful management.

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Etymology

Origin of manipulation

First recorded in 1720–30; from French, equivalent to manipule “handful” ( see maniple) + -ation -ation

Explanation

Manipulation is the skillful handling, controlling or using of something or someone. Whether it's the sculpture you made in art class or how you convinced your friend to do your homework — both are considered manipulation. From the Latin word for "handful," manipulation certainly has much to do with using your hands to move or shape something, like a good DJ manipulating two totally different tunes into the perfect mashup. But this word also has some negative connotations — a manipulative person knows how to twist words, play on emotions and otherwise manage a situation in a sneaky fashion to get what he wants.

Example Sentences

Wednesday's Pearson Edexcel paper one exam has left students feeling "overwhelmed" and "uncertain" by questions that required "multiple layers of reasoning" and "extended algebraic manipulation".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

He discussed the faked livestream McCullagh attempted to stage as an alibi, as well as his manipulation of other people, including Natalie, her family, his own friends and the police.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

“There’s very little evidence of manipulation or of fraud or even of incompetence,” Hasen said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

How do you tell true good news from sophisticated manipulation?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Useless was the intervention of José Arcadio Buendía, who had modified his first impression of Pietro Crespi and admired his ability in the manipulation of musical machines.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez