manual
1 of 2adjective
man·u·al ˈman-yə-wəl 
-yəl,
-yü-əl
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving the hands
manual dexterity
b
: worked or done by hand and not by machine
a manual transmission
manual computation
manual indexing
2
: requiring or using physical skill and energy
manual labor
manual workers
manual
2 of 2noun
1
: a book that is conveniently handled
especially : handbook
an instruction manual
2
: the prescribed movements in the handling of a weapon or other military item during a drill or ceremony
the manual of arms
3
a
: a keyboard for the hands
specifically : one of the several keyboards of an organ or harpsichord that controls a separate division of the instrument
b
: a device or apparatus intended for manual operation
c
: an automobile with a manual transmission
Is your car a manual or an automatic?
called also standard
Synonyms
Noun
- handbook
- primer
- text
- textbook
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective She spent the summer doing manual labor on her uncle's farm. He has a collection of old-fashioned manual typewriters. Noun Here's the owner's manual of your new car. The computer program comes with a user's manual. We lost the instruction manual and couldn't put our bikes together. Please refer to the training manual if you have any questions about your job. Is your car a manual or an automatic? See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 14 Sep. 2022 The gear selector recalls Ferrari’s classic open-gate manual transmission and is supplemented by long paddles behind the steering wheel. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2022 The new Integra gets the Civic Si engine standard (not the Civic’s base 152-horse mill) putting out the same 200 horses as the Civic mated to a manual transmission. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 3 Sep. 2022 The manual transmission has short throws and a clutch that’s easy to learn and use. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug. 2022 And last but not least ... On ode to manual transmission. Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022 The best grand tourers offer manual gearboxes and high-cylinder-count engines as well. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2022 And then there are wheelchair-accessible trails that would be accessible for folks who use a typical manual wheelchair. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 While useful, Verified Fan is also still somewhat of a manual process, according to sources who say the labor-intensive nature of the program often means Ticketmaster can only handle one Verified Fan presale per week. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 30 Aug. 2022 Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The owner’s manual that comes with the bike states (on page 49 out of 57) that the bike is designed for use by people 18 and up. Will Taylor, Outside Online, 19 Aug. 2022 Note: Don't use aluminum foil to catch spills unless the manufacturer's manual for your appliance allows it. Alicia Chilton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Numerous verses endorse slavery, with some reading like an operator’s manual for how to regulate it. The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 July 2022 The owner’s manual may also assist in locating them. Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 17 June 2022 The owner’s manual was clear and easy to follow, helping our testers quickly identify how to brew a cup of coffee. Jamie Kim, Good Housekeeping, 28 May 2022 Yes, the default had been changed—to a password example given in the user manual, which was available online. WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022 Wilkes said another big undertaking was the development of a board policy manual, which had to be created from scratch. al, 8 Aug. 2022 See More
Adjective
Sadly, the four-pot is now only offered with the 10-speed automatic due to low take rates for the manual transmission. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 14 Sep. 2022 The gear selector recalls Ferrari’s classic open-gate manual transmission and is supplemented by long paddles behind the steering wheel. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2022 The new Integra gets the Civic Si engine standard (not the Civic’s base 152-horse mill) putting out the same 200 horses as the Civic mated to a manual transmission. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 3 Sep. 2022 The manual transmission has short throws and a clutch that’s easy to learn and use. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug. 2022 And last but not least ... On ode to manual transmission. Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022 The best grand tourers offer manual gearboxes and high-cylinder-count engines as well. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2022 And then there are wheelchair-accessible trails that would be accessible for folks who use a typical manual wheelchair. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 While useful, Verified Fan is also still somewhat of a manual process, according to sources who say the labor-intensive nature of the program often means Ticketmaster can only handle one Verified Fan presale per week. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 30 Aug. 2022 Noun
There is also a new policy and procedure manual for special education. Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The owner’s manual that comes with the bike states (on page 49 out of 57) that the bike is designed for use by people 18 and up. Will Taylor, Outside Online, 19 Aug. 2022 Note: Don't use aluminum foil to catch spills unless the manufacturer's manual for your appliance allows it. Alicia Chilton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Numerous verses endorse slavery, with some reading like an operator’s manual for how to regulate it. The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 July 2022 The owner’s manual may also assist in locating them. Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 17 June 2022 The owner’s manual was clear and easy to follow, helping our testers quickly identify how to brew a cup of coffee. Jamie Kim, Good Housekeeping, 28 May 2022 Yes, the default had been changed—to a password example given in the user manual, which was available online. WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022 Wilkes said another big undertaking was the development of a board policy manual, which had to be created from scratch. al, 8 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English manuel, from Anglo-French, from Latin manualis, from manus hand; akin to Old English mund hand and perhaps to Greek marē hand
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing manual
Kids Definition
manual 1 of 2
adjective
man·u·al ˈman-yə-wəl
1
: of or relating to hard physical work
manual labor
2
: operated by the hands
a manual gearshift
3
: of or with the hands
manual skill
manual
2 of 2noun
: handbook
a scout manual
Medical Definition
manual
adjective
man·u·al ˈman-yə(-wə)l
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving the hands
manual dexterity
b
: done or performed by hand and not by machine
manual removal of nits and lice Jerome Potts
Jerome Potts2
: using signs and the manual alphabet in teaching the deaf compare oral sense 2
Legal Definition
manual
adjective
man·u·al ˈman-yə-wəl
: involving or as if involving use of the hands
specifically : of, relating to, or being a gift of a corporeal movable object that is actually delivered
a manual donation
manuals
noun
as in handbooks
a book used for instruction in a subject an owner's manual comes with the camera Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- handbooks
- textbooks
- texts
- dictionaries
- primers
- lexicons
- encyclopedias
- vocabularies
- treatises
- grammars
- guides
- schoolbooks
- readers
- references
- guidebooks
- bibles
- lexica
- casebooks
- spellers
- tracts
- wordbooks