English Reference

Word

manifest

Phoneticsman·i·fest, stress on the first syllable

US/ˈmænəˌfɛst/

UK/mˈænɪfˌɛst/

Definitions

01to show a quality

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to show a feeling, quality, or symptom clearly.

v. to demonstrate or display a quality or feeling through one's actions or appearance. Transitive; requires a direct object.

“The virus may not manifest any symptoms for several days.”

“The patient began to manifest signs of severe respiratory distress shortly after the procedure was completed.”

Antonyms

02to appear

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to appear or become easy to see.

v. to become apparent or visible; often used when a problem or physical thing starts to exist.

“The problems in the building started to manifest as cracks in the walls.”

“Social tensions often manifest in the form of protests when the government ignores the needs of the working class.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

03to will into existence

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · Slang

v. to try to make something happen by imagining it and believing it will come true.

v. to use visualization or positive thinking to bring a desired goal into reality. Transitive; common in New Age and social media contexts.

“She says she managed to manifest her dream job by writing it in her journal every day.”

“The influencer claimed that anyone could manifest wealth if they simply changed their mindset and focused on abundance.”

Synonyms

actualizevisualize

04obvious

C1 · Advanced Formal

adj. easy to see or understand; very clear.

adj. clear or obvious to the eye or mind; not hidden or obscure.

“The anger on his face was manifest to everyone in the room.”

“The failure of the current economic policy has become manifest even to its most ardent supporters.”

Antonyms

05list of goods

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical

n. a list of the people or goods being carried on a ship or plane.

n. a document listing the cargo, passengers, and crew of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle for the use of customs and other officials.

“The captain checked the cargo manifest before the ship left the port.”

“Customs officials compared the physical contents of the shipping container against the digital manifest provided by the exporter.”

06metadata file

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a file that gives information about other files in a computer program.

n. a file containing metadata that describes a group of accompanying files as part of a set or software package.

“The application failed to load because the manifest file was missing.”

“The developer updated the manifest to include the new library dependencies required for the version 2.0 release.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “manifest” in context.

Verb

01. manifest a desire for change

“The electorate manifested a clear desire for change during the recent local elections.”

verb + noun + prep + noun

02. manifest symptoms of the disease

“Patients typically manifest symptoms of the disease within forty-eight hours of exposure.”

verb + noun + of + noun

03. manifest the cargo on the ship

“The captain is required to manifest all the cargo on the ship before departing the port.”

verb + noun + prep + noun

Noun

04. ability to manifest success

“She believes that the ability to manifest success starts with a positive mental attitude.”

noun + infinitive

Adverb

05. clearly manifest a preference

“The data clearly manifested a preference for digital solutions among younger consumers.”

adv + verb + noun

06. manifest itself in different ways

“Stress can manifest itself in different ways, such as insomnia or chronic fatigue.”

verb + noun + prep + adj + noun

07. outwardly manifest grief

“Although he was devastated, he did not outwardly manifest his grief during the funeral.”

adv + verb + noun

Real-World Examples

“However, identifying how this warming manifests regionally remains a key challenge.”
Phys.org 17 Aug 2026
“We're looking at organised crime that has manifested because nobody has put it away, nobody has forced it underground," says Glantz.”
BBC News 7 Jun 2026

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

manifest(C1)

Domain

Computing

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
Frequency
Frequent
Level
C1 · AdvancedOxford
Updated

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English Reference