manifestation

noun

man·​i·​fes·​ta·​tion ˌma-nə-fə-ˈstā-shən 

-ˌfe-ˈstā-

1

a

: the act, process, or an instance of manifesting

demanded some manifestation of repentance

b(1)

: something that manifests or is manifest

(2)

: a perceptible, outward, or visible expression

external manifestations of gender

c

: one of the forms in which an individual is manifested

Hate in all its manifestations is wrong.

d

: an occult phenomenon

specifically : materialization

2

: a public demonstration of power and purpose

… a large manifestation has closed the highway, the elated crowd … chanting …

—Bob Shacochis

Synonyms of manifestation

• incarnation
• image
• avatar
• icon
• essence
• personification
• incorporation
• externalization
• abstract

Examples of manifestation in a Sentence

a portrait of a mother and child that is regarded as the very manifestation of maternal love

Recent Examples on the Web

The most visible manifestation of that contempt this season has come from a handful of interactions with umpires who delivered quick ejections followed by a personal comment or two. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

One manifestation of that shift is a Holiday Inn Express ad campaign that ran for more than a decade beginning in 1998 and showed ordinary people completing complex tasks such as brain surgery that were far outside their professional expertise. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

The Bay Area buying spree is the clearest manifestation of a nationwide trend of sales of upper-end properties largely holding up better than sales of less expensive homes. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

The exhibit, which professes to illustrate storytelling through art in its earliest manifestations, is a jarring introduction to a museum that houses 1,300 original works. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for manifestation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

manifestation

noun

man·​i·​fes·​ta·​tion ˌman-ə-fə-ˈstā-shən 

-ˌfes-ˈtā-

1

a

: the act or an instance of manifesting : expression

b

: something that manifests : evidence

2

: a public demonstration of power and purpose

Medical Definition

manifestation

noun

man·​i·​fes·​ta·​tion ˌman-ə-fə-ˈstā-shən, -ˌfes- 

: a perceptible, outward, or visible expression (as of a disease or abnormal condition)

the manifestations of shock