manifest destiny

noun

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.

“Near-synonym: American exceptionalism”

Similar
w:American exceptionalism
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Meanings

manifest destiny1

nounmanifest destiny (uncountable)

alternative Manifest Destiny

  1. uncountableThe 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.
  2. uncountableThe political doctrine or belief held by many citizens of the United States of America that their system is best, and the idea that all humans would like to become Americans.

    Near-synonym: American exceptionalism

    Synonyms: w:American exceptionalism

  3. uncountableThe belief that God supports the expansion of the United States of America throughout the entire North American continent except Mexico.
verbmanifest destiny (third-person singular simple present manifests destiny, present participle manifesting destiny, simple past and past participle manifested destiny)

present singular third person manifests destiny · participle present manifesting destiny · participle past manifested destiny · past manifested destiny · alternative Manifest Destiny

  1. informalTo exercise and realize manifest destiny; to enable the cultural and political expansion of the United States of America.

    The Homestead Acts allowed millions of settlers to populate unclaimed land and manifest destiny out on the frontier.

Manifest Destiny2

nounManifest Destiny (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of manifest destiny.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe political doctrine or belief held by many citizens of the United States of America that their system is best, and the idea that all humans would like to become Americans.

Similar
w:American exceptionalism
Also see
five-finger discounttheft

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 昭昭天命
  • 昭昭天命 (zhāozhāo tiānmìng)cultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
French destinée manifeste
  • destinée manifestecultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
German Manifest Destiny
  • Manifest Destinycultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
Polish Objawione Przeznaczenie
  • Objawione Przeznaczeniecultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
Portuguese destino manifesto
  • destino manifestocultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
Vietnamese vận mệnh hiển nhiên
  • vận mệnh hiển nhiêncultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America
Cite this entry
APA

manifest destiny. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manifest%20destiny

MLA

“manifest destiny.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manifest%20destiny. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “manifest destiny,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manifest%20destiny.

Source: manifest destiny on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.