Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MANIFESTO
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pronounce
MANIFESTO:
Say it "MAN ih FESS toe."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
If you start with the word manifest, meaning "easy to see" or "to reveal itself," and add a zesty Italian O, you get manifesto: a clear and passionate declaration, a revelation of your intentions.
See if you can recall three more words that end in that lively Italian O:
1. B__o is vigor or liveliness.
2. An im___lio is a complicated misunderstanding.
3. A gr_____o is something scribbled onto public property.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Around the year 1620, we took the word "manifesto" from Italian, where it originally meant "proof," with Latin roots meaning "clear, apparent, or obvious--or, more literally, able to be grabbed (festus) by the hand (manus)."
Manifesto in Italian also grew to mean "a public, written explanation of why you did what you did, and why you're going to keep doing whatever you plan to keep doing."
That second meaning is the one we use. In other words, a manifesto is a written declaration--often a spirited, impassioned one--that explains exactly why you do what you do, or why you believe what you believe.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "They published their manifesto;" "It's formatted like a manifesto."
Other forms:
For the plural, you can spell it "manifestos" or "manifestoes." (I think I prefer "manifestos.")
It's rare, but a few writers have turned "manifesto" into a verb, usually with a mocking tone, as in "Stop manifestoing at me."
For info about the closely related adjective "manifest" and its other forms, check out this separate issue.
how to use it:
"Manifesto" is a common, formal, serious, intense word. If you call some document a manifesto, you're saying that it's highly focused and full of a passionate commitment to certain ideas and goals.
Manifestos tend to be more daring and controversial than, say, mission statements. Every kind of person has written them, including artists, poets, politicians, hackers, hate groups, advocates of human rights, and the terrorist known as the Unabomber. So, the tone of the word "manifesto" can vary wildly from one context to another.
You might talk about people and groups writing, publishing, discussing, debating, or defending a manifesto.
And you might talk specifically about certain manifestos by mentioning their titles, which often include the word "manifesto" right in them: "The Blogger's Manifesto," "The Communist Manifesto," "Cannibal Manifesto," "Humanism and Its Aspirations: Humanist Manifesto III," "The School Essay Manifesto: Reclaiming the Essay for Students And Teachers."
examples:
"One of the lines I remember from the Dauntless manifesto is, 'We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.'"
— Veronica Roth, Divergent, 2011
"I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status — but it wouldn't fit [on the badge]. So that’s the heading of our manifesto... Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."
— J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000
has this page helped you understand "manifesto"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "manifesto" without saying "declaration" or "proclamation."
try it out:
Check out this list of manifestos.
Which one looks like it might be worth reading? Which one looks like it might be dangerous to read? Why?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for September is Solve the Square!
It's inspired by Squareword, which is like Wordle but in 3D. In each issue this month, find the 5-letter word that completes the square, creating words both horizontally and vertically. For a bonus point, define the word you've supplied. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
M
A
_
G
A
A
L
_
U
D
T
I
_
I
D
T
E
_
S
E
E
N
_
E
D
review this word:
A. GRIST: something you can use to your advantage.
B. a DISAVOWAL: a public denial or disowning of ideals.
C. a CATHARSIS: a release of pent-up emotions or desires.
2.
Salon quoted from a 2018 manifesto: "_____" and "_____."
A. Media is broken — and too often a scam .. Readers and advertisers alike are duped by headlines that don't deliver and distracted by pop-up nonsense or unworthy clicks
B. Some movies leave a bad taste in the mouth; this one causes full-on halitosis .. If your date likes it, do not date that person again
C. An enthusiastic, sign-holding fan caused a massive wreck during Stage 1 of the Tour de France .. Fans getting too close to the race has been part of the DNA of the Tour de France for decades
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
If you start with the word manifest, meaning "easy to see" or "to reveal itself," and add a zesty Italian O, you get manifesto: a clear and passionate declaration, a revelation of your intentions.
Around the year 1620, we took the word "manifesto" from Italian, where it originally meant "proof," with Latin roots meaning "clear, apparent, or obvious--or, more literally, able to be grabbed (festus) by the hand (manus)."
Part of speech:
"Manifesto" is a common, formal, serious, intense word. If you call some document a manifesto, you're saying that it's highly focused and full of a passionate commitment to certain ideas and goals.
"One of the lines I remember from the Dauntless manifesto is, 'We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.'"
Explain the meaning of "manifesto" without saying "declaration" or "proclamation."
Check out this list of manifestos.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |