manipulative

[muh-nip-yuh-ley-tiv, -yuh-luh-tiv]

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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of manipulative¹

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

Example Sentences

The agency, which protects consumers from unfair business practices, accused Amazon of duping people into automatically renewing their Amazon Prime subscriptions through “manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Combine “There Will Be Blood’s” voracious oil baron and “The Master’s” manipulative spiritual guru with this movie’s America-first nativists and you have Anderson’s unholy trinity of characters who have corrupted our founders’ ideals.

From Los Angeles Times

"On merit too, it is held that impugned transactions cannot be classified as manipulative or fraudulent transactions or unfair trade practices," the order notes.

From BBC

"He is a highly manipulative individual who was able to offend in plain sight and preyed on the innocence of his victims," the detective said in a statement.

From BBC

The backlash against the segment was fierce and immediate, with critics calling Acosta “ghoulish” and “manipulative.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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