manipulated
UK[məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.tɪd]US[məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.t̬ɪd]
v
Handled or controlled skillfully, especially with the hands.
v
Controlled or influenced cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.
Morpheme Breakdown
mani
pul
ated
mani
hand
pul
to fill, to lead
ated
verb suffix, past tense/participle
Etymology
The word 'manipulated' originates from the Latin verb manipulare, meaning "to handle" or "to control by hand," which itself derived from manipulus, a "handful" or a unit of measure. This term is a compound of manus (hand) and the root -pulus, related to plere (to fill), thus literally describing the action of filling or managing by hand. Over time, the meaning expanded beyond physical handling to include the skillful or devious management of objects, situations, or people. The modern senses retain this dual logic: the technical skill of manual operation and the figurative skill of shrewd or deceptive influence.
Analysis
Structure: mani (hand) + pul (to fill, to lead) + ated (verb suffix, past tense/participle)
- mani: From Latin manus, meaning "hand".
- pul: From Latin -pulare, a combining form from plere meaning "to fill" or pellere meaning "to drive, to lead".
- ated: A suffix forming the past tense and past participle of regular English verbs.
Examples
The technician manipulated the delicate components under a microscope.
The data was manipulated to support a false conclusion.
He felt his emotions were being manipulated by the persuasive advertisement.