show is the general term but sometimes implies that what is revealed must be gained by inference from acts, looks, or words.
careful not to show his true feelings
manifest implies a plainer, more immediate revelation.
manifested musical ability at an early age
evidence suggests serving as proof of the actuality or existence of something.
a commitment evidenced by years of loyal service
evince implies a showing by outward marks or signs.
evinced not the slightest fear
demonstrate implies showing by action or by display of feeling.
demonstrated their approval by loud applause
Example Sentences
AdjectiveThe argument, for all of its manifest inadequacies … captured the national imagination and shaped subsequent religious discourse. It provided a vocabulary, an explanation, and a new set of boundaries for the restructured American religion that had by then been developing for half a century. Jonathan D. Sarna, American Judaism, 2004Economics, the great model among us now, indulges and deprives, builds and abandons, threatens and promises. Its imperium is manifest, irrefragable—as in fact it has been since antiquity. Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, 1998Washington has long been uneasy about its relationship with Somalia, partly because of the manifest shakiness of the Siad Barre administration but also because of Somalia's continuing claims on the Ogaden. John Borrell, Wall Street Journal, 23 Aug. 1982His muscles were getting flabby, and his tailor called attention to his increasing waistband. In fact, Daylight was developing a definite paunch. This physical deterioration was manifest likewise in his face. Jack London, Burning Daylight, 1910 Their sadness was manifest in their faces. His love for literature is manifest in his large library. There was manifest confusion in the streets. VerbMalone has invited Barkley to spend a week … to relax, talk some basketball, eat some hot Louisiana food and kick around the subject of frustration, something they both feel but manifest in different ways. Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 27 Apr. 1992He asked what they had been doing in Dallas, and they told him that they were looking at the Sunbelt boom as manifested in the great Texas banks, thrifts and real estate operations. John Kenneth Galbraith, A Tenured Professor, 1990And if one is a pantheist … one might say that all nature is divinity and manifests itself in myriad forms and delightful complexities. Margot Adler, Drawing Down the Moon, 1986 Both sides have manifested a stubborn unwillingness to compromise. Their religious beliefs are manifested in every aspect of their lives. Her behavior problems began manifesting themselves soon after she left home. NounSince 2002, a program known as the Container Security Initiative requires our main trading partners to send to U.S. Customs and border Protection an electronic manifest for every U.S.-bound container twenty-four hours before it is loaded on a ship. William Finnegan, New Yorker, 19 June 2006Has any passenger manifest been more fretted over than the Mayflower's? Jack Hitt, Harper's, July 2005But for me, finding it still in "use" is high on the manifest of writerly thrills longed for—along with seeing someone you don't know hungrily reading your book on an overland bus in Turkey; or noticing your book on the shelf behind the moderator on Meet the Press next to The Wealth of Nations and Giants in the Earth; or seeing your book on a list of overlooked American masterpieces compiled by former insiders in the Kennedy administration. Richard Ford, Independence Day, 1995See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
When the two are together as Hulks, their differences are made more physically manifest; Jen’s alter ego looks more just like an extremely tall, muscled woman, while Bruce becomes an unfathomably brawny colossus. Caroline Framke, Variety, 17 Aug. 2022 The drought has fostered conditions ripe for explosive wildfire development and extreme fire behavior, both of which have been manifest in recent weeks across the Golden State. Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 27 July 2022 This delicate, handmade necklace will help the recipient manifest prosperity in their life, and is made from your choice of sterling silver or conflict-free gold. Samantha Lawyer, Woman's Day, 17 Aug. 2022 Over the last 30-months, our incomplete understanding of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus works as well as the many weaknesses of our healthcare pandemic response have become manifest. Steve Brozak, Forbes, 2 July 2022 Last week, when a deluge of rain poured into the hollows, turning creeks into roaring rivers, overwhelming old flood records, killing at least 37 people, and destroying countless homes, that vulnerability was made brutally manifest.BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 It’s time for political leaders to recognize this manifest debacle and admit that, short of a technological breakthrough, the world will need an ample supply of carbon fuel for decades to remain prosperous and free. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 17 July 2022 Kya’s similarities to Delia Owens, who grew up in Georgia, are manifest. Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, 11 July 2022 But the lack of a controlling vision, beyond everyone misunderstanding one another, is made manifest by the blackout ending which leaves the audience unsure whether to applaud. David Benedict, Variety, 26 June 2022
Verb
There are also social media memes and text message exchanges that manifest the crucial role the internet plays in Wong’s life as a social and intellectual space. Anna Leahy, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 Stigma serves to both dehumanize people with viruses and to deflect attention from the systems that manifest the viral underclass. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 That comes in handy when dealing with the woes of traveling and handling first-game jitters that can manifest in penalties. Alexis Cubit, The Courier-Journal, 1 Sep. 2022 Long Covid is a constellation of diseases that manifest differently. Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 8 July 2022 Health inequities are a multifactorial problem that can manifest in each and every part of a person’s health journey, anywhere, and at any time. Wolfram Nothaft, Scientific American, 17 May 2022 And the dragon itself was inspired by the Naga of Southeast Asia — semi-devine beings that can manifest as serpents or humans. Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022 Movies shape people, the show suggests, in ways that manifest sometimes as comedy and sometimes as tragedy. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022 Hibernation, to be clear, didn’t manifest just to fill nature with geriatric marmots and bats. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Aug. 2022
Noun
Her next manifest destinies include a beauty campaign and a music video budget. Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 18 Aug. 2022 According to Hoyt, the bad news for Knudsen was that his name was on the flight manifest, and within the week the DEA and local authorities had tracked him down. Kristen Mcguiness, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2022 His ancestors appear on the Mayflower manifest and in prep school yearbooks. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 9 July 2022 Does that idea of liberation manifest itself differently between movie maker and moviegoer? Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022 The report is expected to focus on the facts of the attack, include a chronological sequence of events, a timeline, a law enforcement manifest, and details on the shooter, a source previously told CNN. Maureen Chowdhury And Mike Hayes, CNN, 17 July 2022 Plenty of valuables weren’t on the original ship’s cargo manifest, highlighting a common practice of the day: smuggling. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022 Debbie Von Marie Jiménez Garcia, 31, and their 4-year-old son Jayden Hernandez were also killed, the aircraft's manifest confirms. Katie Campione, PEOPLE.com, 15 Dec. 2021 The aircraft's manifest stated it was loaded with cookies. Nima Elbagir, CNN, 29 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Verb, and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French manifeste, from Latin manifestus caught in the act, flagrant, obvious, perhaps from manus + -festus (akin to Latin infestus hostile)