Did you know?
Manifesto Has Latin Roots
Manifesto is related to manifest, which occurs in English as a noun, verb, and adjective. Of these, the adjective, which means "readily perceived by the senses," is oldest, dating to the 14th century. Both manifest and manifesto derive ultimately from the Latin noun manus ("hand") and -festus, a combining form of uncertain meaning that is also found in the Latin adjective infestus ("hostile"), an ancestor of the English infest. Something that is manifest is easy to perceive or recognize, and a manifesto is a statement in which someone makes his or her intentions or views easy for people to ascertain. Perhaps the most well-known statement of this sort is the Communist Manifesto, written in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to outline the platform of the Communist League.
Examples of manifesto in a Sentence
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
The shooter selected the supermarket because of its location in a predominantly Black neighborhood and left behind a white supremacy manifesto.
—Paul J. Becker, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
At least 11 Wisconsin lawmakers were named in a manifesto written by their killer.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The idea, in other words, is to motivate someone else to become a shooter—by creating a public manifesto, leaving a trail of digital evidence, and even livestreaming attacks in some cases.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
That would nevertheless break Labour's manifesto pledges to not raise income tax, national insurance for employees or VAT.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Officials have not determined a motive, but videos and writings, essentially Westman’s manifesto, have been uncovered detailing deeply disturbed views and a desire to gain notoriety through mass murder.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 29 Aug. 2025
Investigators also found a manifesto with antisemitic rhetoric, authorities said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
While a definitive motive has yet to be confirmed, officials say the suspect uploaded a manifesto to YouTube prior to the shooting.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manifesto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifesto. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share