manifesto

1 of 2

noun

man·​i·​fes·​to ˌma-nə-ˈfe-(ˌ)stō How to pronounce manifesto (audio)
plural manifestos or manifestoes
: a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
The group's manifesto focused on helping the poor and stopping violence.

manifesto

2 of 2

verb

manifestoed; manifestoing; manifestos

intransitive verb

: to issue a manifesto

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Manifesto Has Latin Roots

Manifesto is related to manifest, which occurs in English as a noun, verb, and adjective. Of these, the adjective, which means "readily perceived by the senses," is oldest, dating to the 14th century. Both manifest and manifesto derive ultimately from the Latin noun manus ("hand") and -festus, a combining form of uncertain meaning that is also found in the Latin adjective infestus ("hostile"), an ancestor of the English infest. Something that is manifest is easy to perceive or recognize, and a manifesto is a statement in which someone makes his or her intentions or views easy for people to ascertain. Perhaps the most well-known statement of this sort is the Communist Manifesto, written in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to outline the platform of the Communist League.

Examples of manifesto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
During his leave of absence due to illness, Tim Cook offered a different perspective with his 162-word manifesto, known as the Tim Cook Doctrine. Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 What Happens Next Authorities are still working to determine a motive as the FBI is expected to continue to examine the evidence to determine whether the manifesto is legitimately tied to Livelsberger. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025 That introduction manifesto became more proactive in the fall, with more than half a dozen more players earning their first cap. Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024 Also found with him was a 262-word handwritten note the police described as a manifesto, in which the authorities have said Mr. Mangione appeared to take responsibility for the killing. Chelsia Rose Marcius, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2024 However, details — including a manifesto some believe was written by her — remain unverified. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024 The manifesto didn’t matter, and Pavement didn’t stand for anything, just against It. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025 The unverified manifesto, posted to X by someone who claimed to have received it from Natalie Rupnow's boyfriend, states that the author had grown to hate society. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 He was found with a ghost gun that authorities said was similar to the one used by the killer, as well as a handwritten manifesto about the healthcare industry. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Italian, denunciation, manifest, from manifestare to manifest, from Latin, from manifestus

First Known Use

Noun

1620, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1748, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manifesto was in 1620

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Dictionary Entries Near manifesto

Cite this Entry

“Manifesto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifesto. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

manifesto

noun
man·​i·​fes·​to
ˌman-ə-ˈfes-tō
plural manifestos or manifestoes
: a public declaration of intentions or views

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