manoeuvre

American  

[muh-noo-ver] / məˈnu vər /

noun

manoeuvred, manoeuvring

1. Chiefly British. a variant of maneuver.

---

manoeuvre British  

/ məˈnuːvə /

noun

1. a contrived, complicated, and possibly deceptive plan or action

   political manoeuvres

2. a movement or action requiring dexterity and skill

3. 1. a tactic or movement of one or a number of military or naval units

   2. (plural) tactical exercises, usually on a large scale

4. a planned movement of an aircraft in flight

5. any change from the straight steady course of a ship

---

verb

1. (tr) to contrive or accomplish with skill or cunning

2. (intr) to manipulate situations, etc, in order to gain some end

   to manoeuvre for the leadership

3. (intr) to perform a manoeuvre or manoeuvres

4. to move or deploy or be moved or deployed, as military units, etc

Other Word Forms

• manoeuvrability noun
• manoeuvrable adjective
• manoeuvrer noun
• manoeuvring noun

Etymology

Origin of manoeuvre

C15: from French, from Medieval Latin manuopera manual work, from Latin manū operāre to work with the hand

Example Sentences

This manoeuvre was authorised, head of the Swiss armaments department, Urs Loher told Swiss media.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

More thrillingly, there was the dazzling two-footed manoeuvre that took him into a shooting position at the end of the game.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

"We should be nerve-wrecked, right?... I think our task as management is to try to manoeuvre the leadership as good as we can."

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

"She does manoeuvre, but she is also uncompromising and lives her life, has never changed her accent. And some of the men can't cope with that."

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Sometimes this manoeuvre can be justified; but often it gives rise to a new sort of Whig history.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton