manual

American  

[man-yoo-uhl, -yuhl] / ˈmæn yu əl, -yəl /

adjective

1. done, operated, worked, etc., by the hand or hands rather than by an electrical or electronic device.

   a manual gearshift.

2. involving or using human effort, skill, power, energy, etc.; physical.

   manual labor.

3. of or relating to the hand or hands.

   manual deformities.

4. of the nature of a manual or handbook.

   manual instructions.

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noun

1. a small book, especially one giving information or instructions.

   a manual of mathematical tables.

2. a nonelectric or nonelectronic typewriter; a typewriter whose keys and carriage may be powered solely by the typist's hands.

3. Military. the prescribed drill in handling a rifle.

   the manual of arms.

4. Music. a keyboard, especially one of several belonging to a pipe organ.

5. Automotive. manual transmission.

manual British  

/ ˈmænjʊəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a hand or hands

2. operated or done by hand

   manual controls

3. physical, as opposed to mental or mechanical

   manual labour

4. by human labour rather than automatic or computer-aided means

5. of, relating to, or resembling a manual

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noun

1. a book, esp of instructions or information

   a car manual

2. music one of the keyboards played by hand on an organ

3. military the prescribed drill with small arms

Other Word Forms

• manually
  adverb
• nonmanual
  adjective
• unmanual
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

“When sufficient admissible evidence exists to charge persons involved in public corruption, as required by the Justice Manual, the Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue such charges,” she wrote.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Manual processes are often seen as inefficient and are gradually phased out.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

All of the above applies to Manual Mode, which is the default.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Burke told the court that social-media addiction isn’t listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, typically used by clinicians to diagnose mental illness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Take this entry on noun plurals, from, of all books, The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage: Nouns derived from foreign languages form plurals in different ways.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• cookbook
• guide
• guidebook
• handbook
• reference book
• text
• textbook
• workbook