manual

American  

[man-yoo-uhl, -yuhl] / ˈmæn ju əl, -jəl /

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

manuals plural

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

Derived Forms

• nonmanual
  adjective
• unmanual
  adjective
• manually
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• manuals
  plural

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

“Cancel Me If You Can” is part Barstool origin story, part unorthodox management manual and part rebuttal to the critics who have shadowed his rise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026

EES will replace the manual stamping of passports.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

"He will be one of the top superstars for the future, for sure," adds Jozak, who wrote the country's coaching manual and identified the principles for developing young talent.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

“The top of the storage tank began to bulge, and fumes released for approximately 5 minutes until employees activated the manual fire suppression system.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

But scientific experimentation is manual labor, from which the slaveholders are preferentially distanced; while it is only the slaveholders—politely called “gentle-men” in some societies—who have the leisure to do science.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

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