What does "manhattan" mean?
Alternative spelling of Manhattan (“cocktail”).
Manhattan
/mænˈhætn̩/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative spelling of Manhattan (“cocktail”).
- Grammar: manhattan is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: area, atomic, borough, city resident.
- Useful contrasts: brooklyn, countryside, exurban area.
- Usage evidence: The daily trek to midtown Manhattan takes about an hour and a half.
How to use "manhattan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "manhattan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "manhattan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "manhattan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "manhattan" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "manhattan" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "area" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "manhattan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative spelling of Manhattan (“cocktail”). alt-of, alternative
- 2 A cocktail made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters.
"Manhattan. Dry Manhattan on the rocks."
- 3 a cocktail made with whiskey and sweet vermouth with a dash of bitters wordnet
- 4 a bar chart representing the number of runs scored in each over (supposed to resemble a skyline of skyscrapers).
Proper Noun
- 1 An indigenous people of North America who lived in present day New York State.
- 2 A borough of New York City, New York, United States, mainly on Manhattan Island; in full, Borough of Manhattan.
"Holonyms: New York < New York < United States < North America < Earth, World"
- 3 An island of New York, United States; in full, Manhattan Island.
"Lo, body and soul—this land, / My own Manhattan with spires, and the sparkling and hurrying tides, and the ships, / The varied and ample land, the South and the North in the light, Ohio’s shores and flashing Missouri, / And ever the far-spreading prairies cover’d with grass and corn."
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; A ghost town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Manatee County, Florida, United States.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; A township in Will County, Illinois, United States.
- 7 A number of places in the United States:; A village in Will County, Illinois, United States.
- 8 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Putnam County, Indiana, United States.
- 9 A number of places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States.
- 10 A number of places in the United States:; A town in Gallatin County, Montana, United States.
- 11 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Nye County, Nevada, United States.
Antonyms
Example
"The daily trek to midtown Manhattan takes about an hour and a half."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "manhattan"?
Common synonyms include: area, atomic, borough, city resident, cocktail, district.
How do you use "manhattan" in a sentence?
The daily trek to midtown Manhattan takes about an hour and a half.
How do you pronounce "manhattan"?
Pronounced /mænˈhætn̩/.
Etymology
From the earlier form Manna-hata recorded by Dutch travelers and settlers, from its name in Unami, the local Algonquian language. The name generally understood to be a compound of Unami mënatay (“island”) or Munsee munahan (compare Abenaki manahan) with another element. According to a report by John Heckewelder, the name is connected to a wooded area whose trees were suitable for making bows. Linguist Ives Goddard explains the early forms Manna-hatta(n) and Mannahachtink as spellings of Munsee manaháhtaan (“place for gathering the wood to make bows”) and its related locative form manaháhteenk. This interpretation breaks down the word as a compound of manah- (“gather”) + -aht (“bow”) + -aan (“place”).