manipulative

American  

[muh-nip-yuh-ley-tiv, -yuh-luh-tiv] / məˈnɪp yəˌleɪ tɪv, -yə lə tɪv /

adjective

1. influencing or attempting to influence the behavior or emotions of others for one’s own purposes.

   a manipulative boss.

2. of or relating to manipulation of objects or parts of the body; serving to manipulate.

   spinal manipulative therapy.

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noun

1. Usually manipulatives any of various objects or materials that students can touch and move around in order to help them learn mathematical and other concepts.

   the use of blocks, flashcards, and other manipulatives in the classroom.

Other Word Forms

• manipulatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of manipulative

First recorded in 1815–20; manipulat(e) ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )

Example Sentences

There’s this question that’s open to interpretation of, are the others being manipulative, or are they sincere?

From The Wall Street Journal

Marty and Rachel belong together, if only to quarantine their equally manipulative genes from the general population.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a term that describes manipulative tactics used to drive engagement online, with usage of it increasing threefold in the last 12 months, according to the dictionary publisher.

From BBC

With rare exceptions, bosses typically stand in as the villains in workplace movies and are often portrayed as manipulative, hard-driving taskmasters.

From The Wall Street Journal

The case against her was threadbare, a product of postwar rancor, false testimony and manipulative journalists who had preyed on her naivete.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• canny
• considerate
• devious
• scheming
• shrewd
• wily