ENGLISH
REFERENCE

manipulate

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //məˈnɪpjəˌɫeɪt// UK //mənˈɪpjʊlˌeɪt// ma·nip·u·late Academic Archaic

v. to control or move something carefully with your hands. In medicine, this often means moving a patient's bones or muscles back into the right place.

v. to handle or control a tool, body part, or data with skill and precision. In a clinical context, it refers to the manual movement of joints or soft tissues to restore function or alignment.


SIMPLE

The surgeon must manipulate the tiny instruments with great care.

CONTEXTUAL

The physical therapist had to manipulate the patient's shoulder to improve its range of motion after the surgery.

COMPLEX

Advanced robotic systems allow surgeons to manipulate tissue at a microscopic level, providing a degree of precision that exceeds the capabilities of the human hand alone.

Synonyms
Origin

Back-formation from manipulation.

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

Pitfall

The doctor manipulated on the patient's back.The doctor manipulated the patient's back.Manipulate is a transitive verb and does not take a preposition like 'on' before the object.

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