manipulative
ma·nip·u·la·tive/məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.tɪv/adjective, noun
manipulative is spelled M-A-N-I-P-U-L-A-T-I-V-E: 12 letters and 5 syllables (ma·nip·u·la·tive). It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, manipulative means “Using manipulation purposefully” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in manipulative?
| Letters | 12: M-A-N-I-P-U-L-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5: ma·nip·u·la·tive |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,906th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is manipulative?
Manipulative appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce manipulative?
- UK /məˈnɪp.jə.lə.tɪv/
- US /məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.tɪv/
- US [məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.ɾɪv]
Manipulative has 5 syllables, split ma·nip·u·la·tive in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-manipulative.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of manipulative
- more manipulative comparative
- most manipulative superlative
- manipulatives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does manipulative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Using manipulation purposefully.
- 2
Tending to manipulate.
- 3
derogatoryReaching one's goals at the expense of other people by using them.
You manipulative bitch!
noun
- 1
A manipulable object designed to demonstrate a mathematical concept.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Manipulative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense describing a person who manipulates others:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | manipulateur |
| German | manipulativ |
| Portuguese | manipulador, manipulativo |
| Spanish | manipulador |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does manipulative come from?
From manipulate + -ive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).