manually
Americanadverb
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by hand or using one’s hands.
The power source must include a manually operated switch device or circuit breaker.
Even the entry-level model comes with dual-zone climate control, manually adjustable front seats, and Bluetooth connectivity.
-
using or requiring human effort, input, skill, power, etc..
Data extraction was originally done manually, requiring significant resources to complete the tedious task.
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of manually
Explanation
Something that's done manually is done by hand, rather than by machine. If the recycling you leave by the curb is sorted manually, people divide it by hand into metal, plastic, glass, and paper. When you dig a hole manually, you use a shovel and the strength of your own arms and back. The opposite of this is when something's done automatically, by machine or some automated system. The adverb manually comes from the adjective manual, or "done with the hands," from the Latin root word manus, which means "hand, strength, or power over."
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.
Xu's video is artificially brightly coloured - common in microscopy and permitted in the contest - which is usually done manually using stains and dyes on the sample itself.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Following that meeting, Vogot then told Nevada officials that DHS had in fact manually reviewed some of the 16,000 or so suspected noncitizens and “confirmed 185 are not U.S. Citizens.”
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
It is a pain to manually export your entire chat history every week, and it will quickly fill your storage space with duplicates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
You will either do this manually, by picking stocks and bonds yourself; go to a financial adviser for help; or choose a target-date fund or similar actively managed fund to do it for you.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Others preferred A-block’s modernized though undependable electronic locking system to B-block’s ancient, manually operated brakes and levers.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
