What does manifest mean?
Manifest is a formal word with several related uses. As an adjective, it describes something that is clear, obvious, or impossible to overlook: a manifest error, a manifest disagreement, or evidence that is manifest in the results. As a verb, manifest means to reveal or display something, especially an attitude, tendency, or condition: “The study manifested a growing concern about waste.” These uses share the idea of making an underlying fact outwardly apparent. The noun is more specialized, referring to a ship’s list of cargo and passengers, though it can also mean an outward display or expression. In general writing, manifest is especially useful when the evidence is unmistakable or when the writer wants a formal, emphatic tone. Its Latin ancestry is reflected in related words such as manifestation and manifesto.
Clear, obvious, or readily apparent to the senses or understanding.
"There was a manifest difference between their accounts of the event."
Formal and emphatic; often stronger than simply saying that something is visible or noticeable.
To show, reveal, or make evident.
"The new policy manifested a willingness to protect small businesses."
Common in formal and analytical writing, especially when describing a tendency, feeling, condition, or need becoming evident.
A list of the cargo and passengers aboard a ship.
"The port officials checked the ship's manifest against the passenger records."
Primarily a maritime and commercial term, with occasional broader use for a list or outward display.
The plural is used especially for the lists of cargo and passengers maintained for ships or shipments.
"The customs office reviewed the manifests before releasing the cargo."
A ship's manifest lists what is aboard; in ordinary English, a manifest problem is one that refuses to stay hidden.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does manifest come from?
Manifest comes from Latin manifestus, meaning “clear” or “evident,” with the verb developed from the related Latin manifestare, “to make clear” or “to display.” English borrowed the adjective and verb during the early modern period, and the word gradually came to be used for both something revealed and the act of revealing it. The related English word manifesto also derives from Latin, through Italian, and shares the same underlying idea of making something publicly known.
Related word forms
How manifest is actually used
The adjective and verb are formal and emphatic, often suggesting that something is not merely visible but unmistakably clear. The noun is mainly maritime and commercial, while in general English it is less common and can sound technical or old-fashioned.
Easily confused with manifest
A manifest is something that is clear or obvious, or the act of showing something; a manifestation is an expression or outward display of an underlying condition, belief, or quality.