noun
manual
MAN-yuhl
noun
1
A book giving instructions on how to use or operate something.
"He checked the manual before trying to fix the printer."
"The car came with a thick owner's manual."
adj
1
Done with the hands, or operated by a person rather than a machine.
"The job requires manual labor in all weather."
"She prefers a manual transmission to an automatic one."
How to Use Manual
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn instruction booklet, or an adjective for anything done by hand rather than by machine.
Common pairings
user manual
manual labour
manual transmission
Word Forms
more manual comparative, manuals plural, manuals plural, most manual superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “manual”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He checked the _____ before trying to fix the printer.
Etymology
From Latin manuālis, from manus ("hand") — anything "manual" is literally hand-related.