Etymology

manifest destiny

Today it means: The political doctrine or belief held by the United States of America, particularly during its expansion, that the nation was obviously destined to expand toward the west. Full definition →

Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

Popularly attributed to newspaper editor John O'Sullivan (1813–1895). The phrase was first used primarily by Jackson Democrats in the 1840s to promote the annexation of much of what is now the Western United States.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.