What does "manifest" mean?
A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.
Manifest
adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·3 syllables ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.
- Grammar: manifest is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: account, actual, actualizes, advertise.
- Useful contrasts: subtle, dormant system, incipient.
- Usage evidence: I am manifesting a promotion this quarter.
How to use "manifest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "manifest" 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 "manifest" 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 "manifest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "manifest" 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 "manifest" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang 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 "account" 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 "manifest", 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 A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship.
"Near-synonym: bill of lading"
- 2 a customs document listing the contents put on a ship or plane wordnet
- 3 A file containing metadata describing other files.
- 4 A public declaration; an open statement; a manifesto. obsolete
"But you, authentick Witneſſes I bring, / Before the gods, and your ungrateful King, / Of this my Manifeſt : That never more / This Hand ſhall combate on the crooked Shore : / No, let the Grecian Powers oppreſs’d in Fight, / Unpity’d periſh in their Tyrants fight."
Verb
- 1 To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit. transitive
"His courage manifested itself through the look on his face."
- 2 reveal its presence or make an appearance wordnet
- 3 To become manifest; to be revealed. intransitive
"His osteoporosis first manifested as pain in his hips."
- 4 provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes wordnet
- 5 To will something to exist. also, slang, transitive
"The process of creating your treasure map is a powerful step toward manifesting your goal. Now just spend a few minutes each day looking at it[…]"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 record in a ship's manifest wordnet
- 7 To exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices of; to declare at the customhouse. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived.
"It re-envisioned Freddy Krueger in the “real world,” where the nightmare-dwelling being is made manifest in our reality, one where Freddy actor Robert Englund and original Nightmare On Elm Street star Heather Langenkamp play themselves, as does [Wes] Craven himself."
- 2 Obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.
- 3 Detect; convicted. rare, with-of
"Caliſtho there ſtood manifeſt of Shame, / And turn’d a Bear, the Northern Star became[…]"
Adjective
- 1 clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment wordnet
Slang
- 1 To focus intention on a desired outcome. slang, wellness, 2020s
"I am manifesting a promotion this quarter."
Example
"I am manifesting a promotion this quarter."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "manifest"?
Common synonyms include: account, actual, actualizes, advertise, affect, aggrandize.
How do you use "manifest" in a sentence?
I am manifesting a promotion this quarter.
Etymology
From Middle English manifest, manifeste, from Latin manifestus, manufestus (“palpable, manifest”), from manus (“hand”) + *infestus, participle of *infendō (“strike”) (from the root of dēfendō, offendō, etc.), or from Proto-Indo-European *dʰers-. Doublet of manifesto.