manually

American  

[man-yoo-uh-lee, -yuh-lee] / ˈmæn ju ə li, -jə li /

adverb

1. 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.

2. using or requiring human effort, input, skill, power, etc..

   Data extraction was originally done manually, requiring significant resources to complete the tedious task.

   If you prefer that your information not be collected for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising, you have to manually opt out by clicking here.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmanually
  adverb
• semimanually
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of manually

manual ( def. ) + -ly

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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

See Examples For:

manually

The water level monitoring station for the lake is now so far out of the remaining basin that Durig does the measurements manually.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

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

But agents can only access funds in those dedicated accounts, and users can opt to manually approve each trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 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

“The spell book shows you how to create automatic illusions, but you can also paint them manually too.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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