noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/məˌnɪp.juˈleɪ.ʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, US:/məˌnɪp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
Australian:/məˌnɪp.jəˈlæɪ.ʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:M AH0 N IH2 P Y AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of manipulating or the state of being manipulated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The dealer's manipulations could have removed cards from the deck.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The skillful use of the hands in, for example, chiropractic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
After a few minutes of manipulation each week, she obtained days of relief from her neck pain.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The usage of psychological influence over a person, event, or situation to gain a desired outcome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The counselor was able to reach the disturbed teen through positive psychological manipulation.
Through subtle manipulations he orchestrated the downfall of his rival.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the action of touching with the hands (or the skillful use of the hands) or by the use of mechanical means
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: handling
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: touch, touching
Narrower terms: fielding
5
noun
Meaning 5
exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his manipulation of his friends was scandalous
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: use
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: influence
Narrower terms: mind game
History
Etymology
From French manipulation, from Old French manipule, from Latin manipulus. Morphologically manipulate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
manipulim
— practice of manipulating
Arabic:
تَلَاعُب
(talāʕub)
— practice of manipulating
Arabic:
تَعْدِيل
(taʕdīl)
— practice of manipulating
Arabic:
تَغْيِير
(taḡyīr)
— practice of manipulating
Armenian:
մանիպուլյացիա
(manipulyacʻia)
— practice of manipulating
Belarusian:
маніпуля́цыя
(manipuljácyja)
— practice of manipulating
Bulgarian:
манипула́ция
(manipulácija)
— practice of manipulating
Catalan:
manipulació
— practice of manipulating
Chinese Mandarin:
操縱 /操纵
(cāozòng)
— practice of manipulating
Chinese Mandarin:
運用 /运用
(yùnyòng)
— practice of manipulating
Czech:
manipulace
— practice of manipulating
Danish:
manipulation
— practice of manipulating
Dutch:
manipulatie
— practice of manipulating
Dutch:
gebruik
— practice of manipulating
Estonian:
manipulatsioon
— practice of manipulating
Finnish:
manipulaatio
— practice of manipulating
French:
manipulation
— practice of manipulating
West-Frisian:
manipulaasje
— practice of manipulating
Galician:
manipulación
— practice of manipulating
Georgian:
მანიპულაცია
(maniṗulacia)
— practice of manipulating
German:
Manipulation
— practice of manipulating
Greek:
χειραγώγηση
(cheiragógisi)
— practice of manipulating
Hungarian:
manipuláció
— practice of manipulating
Indonesian:
manipulasi
— practice of manipulating
Italian:
manipolazione
— practice of manipulating
Latvian:
manipulācija
— practice of manipulating
Lithuanian:
manipuliacija
— practice of manipulating
Macedonian:
манипулација
(manipulacija)
— practice of manipulating
Norwegian Bokmål:
manipulasjon
— practice of manipulating
Persian:
دستکاری
(dastkâri)
— practice of manipulating
Polish:
manipulacja
— practice of manipulating
Portuguese:
manipulação
— practice of manipulating
Romanian:
manipulare
— practice of manipulating
Russian:
манипуля́ция
(manipuljácija)
— practice of manipulating
Russian:
манипули́рование
(manipulírovanije)
— practice of manipulating
Serbo-Croatian:
манипула́ција
— practice of manipulating
Serbo-Croatian:
manipulácija
— practice of manipulating
Slovak:
manipulácia
— practice of manipulating
Slovene:
manipulacija
— practice of manipulating
Spanish:
manipulación
— practice of manipulating
Swedish:
manipulation
— practice of manipulating
Turkish:
manipülasyon
— practice of manipulating
Ukrainian:
маніпуля́ція
(manipuljácija)
— practice of manipulating
Ukrainian:
маніпулюва́ння
(manipuljuvánnja)
— practice of manipulating
Vietnamese:
sự thao tác
— practice of manipulating
Bulgarian:
бора́вене
(borávene)
— skillful use of the hands
Catalan:
manipulació
— skillful use of the hands
Dutch:
manipulatie
— skillful use of the hands
Galician:
manipulación
— skillful use of the hands
Persian:
دستورزی
(dast-varzi)
— skillful use of the hands
Polish:
manipulacja
— skillful use of the hands
Serbo-Croatian:
манипула́ција
— skillful use of the hands
Serbo-Croatian:
manipulácija
— skillful use of the hands
Ukrainian:
маніпуля́ція
(manipuljácija)
— skillful use of the hands
