manual
Americanadjective
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done, operated, worked, etc., by the hand or hands rather than by an electrical or electronic device.
a manual gearshift.
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involving or using human effort, skill, power, energy, etc.; physical.
manual labor.
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of or relating to the hand or hands.
manual deformities.
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of the nature of a manual or handbook.
manual instructions.
noun
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manuals
plural
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a small book, especially one giving information or instructions.
a manual of mathematical tables.
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a nonelectric or nonelectronic typewriter; a typewriter whose keys and carriage may be powered solely by the typist's hands.
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Military. the prescribed drill in handling a rifle.
the manual of arms.
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Music. a keyboard, especially one of several belonging to a pipe organ.
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Automotive. manual transmission.
adjective
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of or relating to a hand or hands
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operated or done by hand
manual controls
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physical, as opposed to mental or mechanical
manual labour
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by human labour rather than automatic or computer-aided means
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of, relating to, or resembling a manual
noun
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a book, esp of instructions or information
a car manual
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music one of the keyboards played by hand on an organ
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military the prescribed drill with small arms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of manual
First recorded in 1375–1425; from Latin manuālis (adjective), manuāle (noun) “(something) that can be held in the hand” ( manu(s) “hand” + -ālis, -āle -al 1, -al 2 ); replacing late Middle English manuel, from Middle French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Something manual is operated by human hands. Before Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, picking cotton was a manual job. Nowadays, farmers might need to read a manual to know how to operate a cotton gin. The word manual comes from Latin root words meaning "of the hand," and the adjective form of the word still maintains that meaning — "by hand or of the hands." The adjective definition is also extended a bit to mean something done by hand and not machine, and the implication is usually that it is physical work. As a noun, manual means "an instruction booklet or handbook."
Vocabulary lists containing manual
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Body Language: Man ("Hand")
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The problem surrounds what happens next - when the system fails and control of the line shifts to manual.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Andy Burnham has said he has asked for a "manual trawl" of records relating to his previous contact with Manchester City football club.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Chinese consumer drones could do the manual job a decade ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
DNA acts like an instruction manual, storing the information that cells need to build and maintain their structures.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
She sounded like she was reading an instruction manual.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
"I can't read instruction manuals, but I've watched YouTube tutorials," he says, generating a growling bass line that sounds like the dawning of the apocalypse.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
US prosecutors charged that Boeing misled FAA regulators about MCAS, resulting in no reference to the system in manuals and pilot training materials.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
We found an image, posted on Telegram by Rybar, showing Lyukshin in a group of "future diplomats" who had "trained using Rybar's manuals".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
There have been dozens of painters—albeit fewer and fewer now that the favored mode of contemporary art is no longer painting—who took Hofmann’s canvases and philosophy as veritable instruction manuals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
Ma gave him her drawing manuals and encouraged him to learn from them.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
