Meanings
nounmaneuver (plural maneuvers)
plural maneuvers · alternative Commonwealth manoeuvre · alternative dated manœuvre · alternative nonstandard maneuvre · alternative nonstandard manoeuver · alternative obsolete manœuver
- USgovernmentThe planned movement of troops, vehicles etc.; a strategic repositioning; (later also) a large training field-exercise of fighting units.First known use 18th c.
The army was on maneuvers.
1 more example
Joint NATO maneuvers are as much an exercise in diplomacy as in tactics and logistics.
- USmedicineA specific medical or surgical movement, often eponymous, done with the doctor's hands or surgical instruments.First known use 18th c.
The otorhinolaryngologist performed an Epley maneuver and the patient was relieved of his vertigo.
verbmaneuver (third-person singular simple present maneuvers, present participle maneuvering, simple past and past participle maneuvered)
present singular third person maneuvers · participle present maneuvering · participle past maneuvered · past maneuvered · alternative Commonwealth manoeuvre · alternative dated manœuvre · alternative nonstandard maneuvre · alternative nonstandard manoeuver · alternative obsolete manœuver
- USfigurativelyintransitiveTo intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
The patriarch maneuvered till his offspring occupied countless key posts
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA movement of the body, or with an implement, instrument etc., especially one performed with skill or dexterity.
verbTo move (something, or oneself) carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna military training exercise
Similar
manoeuvresimulated military operation
Broader
operationmilitary operation
nouna deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill
nouna move made to gain a tactical end
Similar
Broader
verbdirect the course; determine the direction of travelling
verbperform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage in attack or defense
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frankish*handuwerk“hand-work”
- Medieval Latinmanopera
- Old Frenchmanovre“handwork, manual labor”
- Middle Frenchmanœuvre“manipulation, maneuver”
- Englishmaneuver
From Middle French manœuvre (“manipulation, maneuver”) and manouvrer (“to maneuver”), from Old French manovre (“handwork, manual labor”), from Medieval Latin manopera, manuopera (“work done by hand, handwork”), from manu (“by hand”) + operari (“to work”). First recorded in the Capitularies of Charlemagne (800 AD) to mean "chore, manual task", probably as a calque of the Frankish *handuwerk (“hand-work”). Compare Old English handweorc, Old English handġeweorc, German Handwerk. The verb is a doublet of the verb manure.
More words from Middle French, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُنَاوَرَة, تَدْرِيب عَسْكَرِيّ
- مُنَاوَرَة (munāwara)a large training exercise of military troops
- تَدْرِيب عَسْكَرِيّ (tadrīb ʕaskariyy)a large training exercise of military troops
- مُنَاوَرَة (munāwara)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
Bulgarian маньо́вър, мане́вра
- маньо́вър (manjóvăr)planned movement of troops
- мане́вра (manévra)planned movement of troops
- маньо́ври (manjóvri)a large training exercise of military troops
- мане́ври (manévri)a large training exercise of military troops
- маньо́вър (manjóvăr)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- мане́вра (manévra)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- маневри́рам (manevríram)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Chinese Mandarin 機動 /机动, 演習 /演习
- 機動 /机动 (jīdòng)planned movement of troops
- 演習 /演习 (yǎnxí)a large training exercise of military troops
Czech manévr, manévry
- manévrplanned movement of troops
- manévrya large training exercise of military troops
- cvičenía large training exercise of military troops
- manévra movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manévrovatto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Danish manøvre, øvelse
- manøvrea large training exercise of military troops
- øvelsea large training exercise of military troops
Dutch manoeuvre, (veld)oefening
- manoeuvrea large training exercise of military troops
- (veld)oefeninga large training exercise of military troops
- manoeuvrea movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manoeuvrerento move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- laverento move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- manoeuvreren(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
- intrigeren(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Esperanto manovro, manovro
- manovroa large training exercise of military troops
- manovroa movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manovrito move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Estonian manööver
- manöövera movement, often one performed with difficulty
Finnish manööveri, operaatio
- manööveriplanned movement of troops
- operaatioplanned movement of troops
- sotaharjoitusa large training exercise of military troops
- manööveria movement, often one performed with difficulty
- liikea movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manöveroidato move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
French manœuvre, manœuvre
- manœuvreplanned movement of troops
- manœuvrea large training exercise of military troops
- exercicea large training exercise of military troops
- manœuvrea movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manœuvrerto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
German Manöver, Manöver
- Manöverplanned movement of troops
- Manövera large training exercise of military troops
- Übunga large training exercise of military troops
- Manövera movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manövrierento move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Greek ελιγμός, χειρισμός
- ελιγμός (eligmós)a large training exercise of military troops
- χειρισμός (cheirismós)a medical procedure
- ελιγμός (eligmós)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- μανούβρα (manoúvra)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- ελίσσω (elísso)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- ελίσσομαι (elíssomai)to guide, steer, manage purposefully
- ελίσσομαι (elíssomai)(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Hebrew תִּמְרוֹן, תַּרְגִּיל
- תִּמְרוֹן (timron)planned movement of troops
- תַּרְגִּיל (targíl)a large training exercise of military troops
- תִּמְרוּן (timrun)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- תִּמְרֵן (timren)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Hindi अभ्यास
- अभ्यास (abhyās)a large training exercise of military troops
Hungarian hadgyakorlat, hadművelet
- hadgyakorlata large training exercise of military troops
- hadműveleta movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manővera movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manőverezto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Indonesian manuver, manuver
- manuverplanned movement of troops
- manuvera large training exercise of military troops
- manuvera medical procedure
- perasata medical procedure
Italian manovra, esercitazione
- manovraa large training exercise of military troops
- esercitazionea large training exercise of military troops
- manovraa movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manovrareto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Japanese 機動, 演習
- 機動 (kidō)planned movement of troops
- 演習 (enshū)a large training exercise of military troops
Korean 기동, 연습
- 기동 (gidong)planned movement of troops
- 연습 (yeonseup)a large training exercise of military troops
- 련습 (ryeonseup)a large training exercise of military troops
Latin dēcursiō
- dēcursiōa large training exercise of military troops
Malay olah gerak
- olah geraka movement, often one performed with difficulty
Māori whakatakataka
- whakatakatakato move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Norwegian Bokmål manøver, øvelse
- manøvera large training exercise of military troops
- øvelsea large training exercise of military troops
- manøvera movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manøvrereto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Persian رزمایش, مانور
- رزمایش (razmâyeš)a large training exercise of military troops
- مانور (mânovr)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
Polish manewr, manewr
- manewrplanned movement of troops
- manewra large training exercise of military troops
- ćwiczeniaa large training exercise of military troops
- manewra movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manewrowaćto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- balansowaćto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- manewrowaćto guide, steer, manage purposefully
- manewrować(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Portuguese manobra, exercício
- manobraa large training exercise of military troops
- exercícioa large training exercise of military troops
- manobraa movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manobrarto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- manipular(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Romanian manevră, exercițiu
- manevrăa large training exercise of military troops
- exercițiua large training exercise of military troops
- manevrăa movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manevrato move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Russian манёвр, мане́вр
- манёвр (manjóvr)planned movement of troops
- мане́вр (manévr)planned movement of troops
- манёвры (manjóvry)a large training exercise of military troops
- мане́вры (manévry)a large training exercise of military troops
- уче́ния (učénija)a large training exercise of military troops
- манёвр (manjóvr)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- мане́вр (manévr)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- маневри́ровать (manevrírovatʹ)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- сманеври́ровать (smanevrírovatʹ)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Slovak manéver, manévre
- manéverplanned movement of troops
- manévrea large training exercise of military troops
- cvičeniea large training exercise of military troops
- manévera movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manévrovaťto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Spanish maniobra, ejercicio
- maniobraa large training exercise of military troops
- ejercicioa large training exercise of military troops
- maniobraa movement, often one performed with difficulty
- maniobrarto move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Swedish manöver, övning
- manövera large training exercise of military troops
- övninga large training exercise of military troops
- manövera movement, often one performed with difficulty
- manövrerato move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
- manövrerato guide, steer, manage purposefully
- manövrera(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
- intrigera(intransitive) to intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Turkish manevra
- manevraa movement, often one performed with difficulty
Ukrainian мане́вр, мане́ври
- мане́вр (manévr)planned movement of troops
- мане́ври (manévry)a large training exercise of military troops
- навча́ння (navčánnja)a large training exercise of military troops
- мане́вр (manévr)a movement, often one performed with difficulty
- маневрува́ти (manevruváty)to move carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with maneuver
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
maneuver. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maneuver
MLA
“maneuver.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maneuver. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maneuver,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maneuver.
Source: maneuver on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.