manipulation
nounUK /məˌnɪp.juˈleɪ.ʃən/ · CA, US /məˌnɪp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
Etymology From French manipulation, from Old French manipule, from Latin manipulus. Morphologically manipulate + -ion.
1
The practice of manipulating or the state of being manipulated.
- The dealer's manipulations could have removed cards from the deck.
- The rear portion of the tender top is flat and open so as to facilitate the manipulation of the water crane.1956 April, “"Merchant Navy" Class Pacific Modified”, in Railway Magazine, page 212:
2
The skillful use of the hands in, for example, chiropractic.
- After a few minutes of manipulation each week, she obtained days of relief from her neck pain.
3
The usage of psychological influence over a person, event, or situation to gain a desired outcome.
- The counselor was able to reach the disturbed teen through positive psychological manipulation.
- Through subtle manipulations he orchestrated the downfall of his rival.
1 more example
- A dormant and defunded CPB could have become vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse, threatening the independence of public media and the trust audiences place in it, and potentially subjecting staff and board members to legal exposure from bad-faith actors.”2026 January 5, Michael Schneider, “Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Shut Down After 58 Years Due to Trump Eliminating Funding”, in Variety, archived from the original on 07 Jan 2026:
- Derived terms
- antimanipulation, biomanipulation, crowd manipulation, electromanipulation, immunomanipulation, manipulational, micromanipulation, nanomanipulation, nonmanipulation, object manipulation, photomanipulation, postmanipulation, psychomanipulation, telemanipulation, womanipulation
- Related terms
- pedipulation