Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MANIFEST

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

explore the archives: Something manifest is true and real: it's easy to see it. The opposite is la___t, meaning true and real BUT invisible or undetectable. Could you recall this word? make your point with... "MANIFEST" The word "manifest" means "clear and obvious." It probably came from Latin roots meaning "hand" and "able to be grabbed:" the idea here may have been that very obvious things seem so clear and so real that you can reach out and grab them. So, "manifest" might be related to similar-looking words about hands, like "manicure," "manual," and "manipulate." And, "manifest" might be related to the word "infest," which we can trace back a Latin word that literally meant "not able to be grabbed, not able to be handled, and therefore unsafe: dangerous, hurtful, annoying, and even attacking." The word "manifest" has many meanings, but we'll focus on these common ones: Something manifest is very easy to see, or very easy to understand. When something manifests itself, it reveals itself, or makes itself really easy to see. (You can also manifest something, meaning you reveal it or make it easy to see.) Pronunciation: MAN if est Part of speech: Both an adjective (this manifest thing, this thing is manifest) and a verb (to manifest something, something manifests itself). Other forms: Manifested, manifesting, manifestation, manifestly. For info on the word "manifesto," check out this issue. How to use it: For the adjective, talk about manifest things or things that become manifest or are made manifest, like manifest destiny, manifest beauty, manifest weaknesses, manifest approval or disapproval, and manifest signs of stress. For the verb, talk about something manifesting itself, or something manifesting its presence, often in or through something: nature manifests itself through our senses, God or goodness manifests itself in kindness or good deeds, a feeling manifests itself through certain actions or certain things said, a quality or an illness manifests itself through certain observable aspects or symptoms, and so on. If you prefer, leave out that reflexive pronoun ("itself") and just say that tensions are manifesting, a problem is manifesting, a certain feeling is manifesting, and so on. Finally, someone or something can also manifest something else: an action can manifest your will, your intent, or your style; and a statement or expression can manifest an emotion. examples: When did nature's power manifest itself to you most directly? For us, it was a morning in 1998. We walked gingerly through our neighborhood, picking through the rubble left behind by a tornado. In our house, love manifests itself in so many little gestures. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "manifest" means when you can explain it without saying "obvious" or "become obvious." try it out: Think of someone you know really well, and fill in the blanks: "_____ is how (Person)'s (stress / sadness / joy / happiness) manifests itself." Example: "Bursting into song, usually the alphabet song, is how Taylor's happiness manifests itself." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Language Techniques: When language sounds beautiful or memorable, often there’s some particular technique responsible for that effect. Each day this month, I’ll give you a specific stylistic technique or quality, and I’d like you to recreate (as closely as you can) the quote that I’ve botched by removing it. We’ll work our way from the easiest to the hardest techniques. Enjoy! From yesterday: Even outside of poetry and song lyrics, rhyme can have a startling effect. For example, Samuel Butler once complained memorably that "All the rhetorician’s rules teach but the naming of his tools." In 1995, when defending O.J. Simpson, the lawyer Johnnie Cochran didn't say "If the glove isn't the right size, then you have to set my client free." What memorable rhyming statement did he offer instead? Answer: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."  Try this one today: Anaphora is a specific kind of repetition: the kind where you keep using the same word(s) again and again at the start of phrases. For example, Charles Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities with "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." In describing the Grinch's struggle to realize how he'd failed to ruin Christmas, Dr. Seuss didn't write, "It came without ribbons, tags, packages, boxes, or bags." What memorable anaphoric sentences did he write instead? review today's word: 1. The exact opposite of MANIFEST is LATENT. But another opposite of MANIFEST could be A. PLAY B. HIDE C. SEEK 2.  _____ is how a dog manifests its _____, but I still don't like it. A. "Marking" things .. breed B. Jumping up on you .. enthusiasm C. Chewing things up .. dental health Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B