manifestation
/ˌmanɪfɛˈsteɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract or theoretical: the first obvious manifestations of global warming...
- He is always portrayed as an abstract manifestation of evil, from which we, as the good children of the next generation, are safely separated.
- At present they are the earliest evidence of human creativity and the first known visual manifestations of abstract thought.
- In addition, he still constitutes the paradigmatic figure in whom philosophy, even in its most abstract manifestations, is never severed from the concerns of life.
1.1 [mass noun] The action or fact of showing something: the manifestation of anxiety over disease...
- One such factor pertains to the mode of expression or form of manifestation.
- Also, the speech of Lord Clyde contains no manifestation of express disagreement with Lord Hope.
- He witnessed Saturday's manifestation and calls it a ‘circus’.
Synonyms
display, demonstration, showing, show, exhibition, presentation, indication, illustration, exemplification, exposition, disclosure, declaration, expression, profession
1.2A symptom of an ailment: cryptococcal meningitis was the first manifestation of AIDS in seven of twenty-seven patients...
- Interest in the cardiovascular manifestations of sleep apnea has grown dramatically over the past few years.
- Social withdrawal can be a manifestation of untreated physical symptoms such as pain.
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome is the clinical manifestation of severe, acute lung injury.
Synonyms
sign, indication, evidence, proof, token, symptom, testimony, substantiation, mark, symbol, reflection, example, instance
1.3A version or incarnation of something or someone: the butterfly was one of the many manifestations of the Goddess...
- The holy land of Bharat is the birthplace of many incarnations and manifestations of divine power that descended on earth in human garb.
- We are all incarnations and manifestations of the Divine.
- The Hindu temple, in all its diverse manifestations, incarnates this truth.
1.4An appearance of a ghost or spirit: some supernatural manifestations are regarded as portents of good or evil...
- The majority of spiritual manifestations use electromagnetic energy to interact with our world, hence the bag.
- Though he waited, no further manifestations appeared.
- In the literary ghost story, at least in many of its classic manifestations, the ghost is all, and the deliberate arousal of fear is the story's primary purpose.
Synonyms
apparition, appearance, materialization, visitation
Origin
Late Middle English: from late Latin manifestatio(n-), from the verb manifestare 'make public'.