manifest destiny

noun

often capitalized M&D

: a future event accepted as inevitable

in the mid-19th century expansion to the Pacific was regarded as the Manifest Destiny of the United States

broadly : an ostensibly benevolent or necessary policy of imperialistic expansion

Examples of manifest destiny in a Sentence

They were living in a time when expansion to the Pacific was regarded by many people as the Manifest Destiny of the United States.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lakers sometimes felt as if they were backed by a manifest destiny more than ruthless competence. —Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 19 June 2025

And many listeners might be familiar with the idea of manifest destiny, which was something that Jefferson oversaw with the Louisiana purchase and the expansion of the western border of the United States. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025

Are we driven to attain ASI because of manifest destiny? —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

President Trump wants astronauts to raise the American flag on Mars Trump wants US to pursue 'manifest destiny' in space. —Tariq Malik, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above