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

“We expect to save tens of millions of dollars every year going forward with these new tools, while freeing up tens of thousands of hours of manual work,” Strazik says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The goal is to implement both generative and agentic AI so that users can turn the “mostly manual process into an intelligent, AI-assisted experience,” Avid said in a statement Thursday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

A spokesperson said the firm planned to automate a number of manual tasks as part of this.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Six staff members in Milan and 22 in Tokyo checked around the clock for posts abusing Japanese athletes, using both manual and AI searches.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Mari was mixing something in a bowl, and Hannah was pressing, with all her seven-year-old might, on an orange in a manual juicer.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

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