manifest
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make clear or evident; show plainly.
He manifested his approval with a hearty laugh.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to prove; put beyond doubt or question.
The evidence manifests the guilt of the defendant.
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to attempt to attain (something desired) by thinking or focusing intensely on it, especially as a spiritual or self-help practice.
I'm manifesting a new job this year.
We cut out toxic people and manifested new friends more on our wavelength.
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to record in the manifest of a ship, airplane, train, etc.
verb (used without object)
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to appear or become apparent.
The change we've been agitating for is finally manifesting in public policy.
Damage to the house's foundation can manifest slowly over time.
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to be created; take form.
The course allows designers to visualize how their designs could manifest.
His book claims we are beings of light that have manifested in physical bodies.
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Medicine/Medical.
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(of a disease or injury) to become evident through the appearance of particular symptoms.
This type of infection typically manifests with rashes, swelling, and pain.
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(of a patient) to have a certain symptom or medical condition.
People who experience work-related stress often manifest with chronic digestive disorders.
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to attempt to attain something desired by thinking about or focusing intensely on it, especially as a spiritual or self-help practice.
The guru was trying to teach us how to manifest by using meditation and deep concentration.
adjective
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readily perceived; evident; obvious; apparent; plain.
The data you've shown us contains a manifest error.
- Synonyms:
- conspicuous, visible, palpable, open, patent, unmistakable, distinct, clear
- Antonyms:
- obscure
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Psychoanalysis. of or relating to conscious feelings, ideas, and impulses that contain repressed psychic material.
the manifest content of a dream as opposed to the latent content that it conceals.
noun
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a list of the cargo or goods carried by a ship, airplane, train, etc., made for the use of various agents and officials at the points of destination.
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a list of the passengers carried on a ship, airplane, train, etc.
adjective
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easily noticed or perceived; obvious; plain
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psychoanal of or relating to the ostensible elements of a dream Compare latent
manifest content
verb
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(tr) to show plainly; reveal or display
to manifest great emotion
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(tr) to prove beyond doubt
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(intr) (of a disembodied spirit) to appear in visible form
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(tr) to list in a ship's manifest
noun
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a customs document containing particulars of a ship, its cargo, and its destination
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a list of cargo, passengers, etc, on an aeroplane
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a list of railway trucks or their cargo
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a fast freight train carrying perishables
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Usage
What does manifest mean? Manifest describes something that is readily understood, obvious, or apparent upon viewing, as in Saying the sky is full of flying pigs is manifest nonsense. To manifest something is to prove beyond all doubt, as in Climate change is manifesting itself through the increase of superstorms. To manifest also means to display or show plainly, as in Clara’s embarrassment manifested itself on her face as a blush. A manifest is a list of cargo carried by a plane, ship, truck, or train. To manifest the cargo is to list it on a manifest. Example: He managed to manifest a smile despite being so uncomfortable.
Synonym Usage
See display.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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manifesternoun
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manifestnessnoun
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nonmanifestnessnoun
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premanifestverb
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remanifestverb (used with object)
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supermanifestverb (used with object)
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manifestableadjective
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nonmanifestadjective
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self-manifestadjective
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unmanifestadjective
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manifestlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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manifestsimple
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manifestssimple
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have manifestedperfect
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has manifestedperfect
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am manifestingprogressive
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are manifestingprogressive
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is manifestingprogressive
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have been manifestingperfect progressive
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has been manifestingperfect progressive
Past
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manifestedsimple
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had manifestedperfect
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was manifestingprogressive
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were manifestingprogressive
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had been manifestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of manifest
First recorded in 1350–1400; (adjective) Middle English manifest(e), from Latin manifestus, manufestus “detected in the act, evident, visible”; (verb) Middle English manifesten, from Middle French manifester, from Latin manifestāre, derivative of manifestus. See manus
Explanation
Choose the verb manifest when someone shows something for everyone to notice. You might manifest your dislike of school food by stirring it around into a big pile of slop on your tray. Coming from the Latin manifestus, "caught in the act," manifest can be used as an adjective or a noun as well as a verb. As an adjective, manifest is a formal way to say that something is apparent to the senses and is synonymous with evident, apparent, or clear. If you have strong feelings about something, they will be manifest on your face. A ship or plane's manifest is the list of cargo or passengers on a particular trip.
Vocabulary lists containing manifest
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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Fahrenheit 451
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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.
See Examples For:
There had earlier been confusion over how many were involved in the tragedy due to an inaccurate passenger manifest which listed 133 people aboard, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“We said, ‘Let’s put it to the universe: Universe, why don’t you manifest that somebody buys the rights to the show and decides to reboot it and bring us all back.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
This historical lesson may appear counterintuitive to modern instincts: Authority doesn’t always manifest through overt public declarations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
In ancient civilizations as in ours, it was status made manifest.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Here he is in a court of law with the evidence displayed and the testimony given, the facts all aired and the arguments made and the truth of the matter manifest.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
In lower-income importing countries, it manifests as shortages: Bangladesh has limited air conditioning to a balmy 77 degrees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
The public hearings on Monday will focus on defining antisemitism, how it manifests in society as well as the lived experiences of Jewish Australians in all facets of the community.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
While Tourette syndrome has many complex symptoms, “I Swear” focuses largely on coprolalia, a symptom affecting approximately 10% of individuals with Tourette’s and manifests in the involuntary use of obscene language.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
"Now that we have reported this unanticipated behavior, the work of fully understanding why it happens and how the behavior manifests in other liquids is an important next step," Lima said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 30, 2026
That’s where Mercer’s triumph manifests itself, there at the end of the great sidereal cycle.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
But as I talked to mourners at Sayre’s funeral at his home parish of St. Cecilia Church in Tustin, Calif., on Monday, I realized that his fight for justice manifested in many other ways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
"There does seem to be an increase in the visibility of it. We're looking at organised crime that has manifested because nobody has put it away, nobody has forced it underground," says Glantz.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Describe her leadership philosophy and how it manifested itself.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
“It’s manifested in a biological measurement, which is remarkable. It’s not a soft measurement; it’s something that you can count very accurately.”
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
My mom says she’s jealous that all the artistic talent skipped her generation and manifested in me.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Martin Luther King Jr described America as manifesting a "schizophrenic personality" long before the nationwide disillusionment with the Dream began.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Whether that happened is debatable; what is not is that “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” also influenced him, manifesting in the lyrics’ repeated invitation to “Take a ride in the sky/On our ship, fantasize.”
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
Instead of blanket-dismissing tech entrepreneurs or wholesale manifesting a god in the machine, Pope Leo has sought a careful, studied, moral middle ground: one that encourages technological progress but upholds human dignity above all.
From Slate ● May 28, 2026
The idea of manifesting oneself through one’s work was part of the West Coast feminist movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
She huffed, her frustration manifesting as a quiet sob, and then nearby splashing and rustling made her open her eyes.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
