manipulative

American  

[muh-nip-yuh-lay-tiv, -yuh-luh-tiv] / məˈnɪp jəˌleɪ tɪv, -jə 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

• manipulatives
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• manipulatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• manipulatives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of manipulative

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

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Explanation

A manipulative person uses passive, sneaky strategies to get what they want, such as saying "Aren't you lucky to have all that chocolate!" when what they really want is for you to offer them one. Manipulative comes from the Latin word manus for "hand," and originally the English words that sprang from it like manipulate and manipulation referred to skill in physically handling objects by hand. The psychological sense we now associate with manipulative came much later on, but as anyone who has been successfully manipulated well knows, it often feels like you've been brilliantly manhandled.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manipulative manipulatives

Another, who estimated she had given £40,000 to NOS over seven years, recalled the "manipulative" Brain persuading her to skip her brother's wedding in South Africa and buy van for the community instead.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Ann Blyth, who was nominated for an Academy Award for playing the wicked, manipulative daughter in the 1945 noir melodrama “Mildred Pierce,” has died at age 98.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

According to TikTok’s community guidelines, the platform bans accounts engaging in deceptive or manipulative activity or discrimination.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Louis had plenty of reasons for doing his maker dirty in “Interview,” like the fact that Lestat de Lioncourt was emotionally withholding and manipulative.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

But the Erudite are as meticulous as they are manipulative, so they wouldn’t leave it up to chance.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

“Kids should be outside, they should be playing, they should be using manipulatives and tactiles.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026

I could suggest ways of bringing manipulatives to traditional paper and pencil mathematics.

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2020

This philosophy--championed most famously by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget--explains the near ubiquity of counting rods and beads, known in academic circles as manipulatives, in most grade-school classrooms.

From Time Magazine Archive

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