manipulation

American  

[muh-nip-yuh-ley-shuhn] / məˌnɪp yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of manipulating.

2. the state or fact of being manipulated.

3. skillful or artful management.

---

Etymology

Origin of manipulation

First recorded in 1720–30; from French, equivalent to manipule “handful” ( maniple ) + -ation -ation

Example Sentences

Not disclosing digital manipulation of your photos has left you in a personal moral quandary.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Polymarket also agreed to work with MLB to restrict event contracts that pose “integrity risk,” where outcomes triggered by the actions of, say, pitchers, managers or umpires could be subject to manipulation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Also known as streaming manipulation, the practice involves "fake" artists uploading song to sites like Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and Apple Music, and artificially boosting their play counts, in order to gain royalty payments.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Muddy Waters has accused the company of accounting manipulation partly to benefit its chief executive, claiming that “without these manipulations, CEO Noto would lose most—if not all—of his performance bonus.”

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

“Your manipulation of Kaltain was interesting,” said the king at last.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas