manifest destiny
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A 19th-century doctrine or belief: It holds that the expansion of the United States across the North American continent was both justified and inevitable, often seen as a divine right or a preordained fate.
Usage
- As a subject: "Manifest Destiny" is used to describe a specific historical ideology and period of U.S. policy.
- As an object: It is often analyzed or referenced in discussions of American history and expansionism.
Examples
- Noun:
- The concept of Manifest Destiny was used to justify the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory.
- Historians debate the economic, political, and racial motivations behind the rhetoric of Manifest Destiny.
Advanced Usage
- "to be driven by a sense of manifest destiny": To be motivated by a powerful belief in a preordained, often expansive, mission.
- The settlers moved westward, driven by a sense of manifest destiny.
- As a broader metaphor: Used (often critically) to describe any powerful belief in an inevitable and righteous expansion or dominance.
- The company's aggressive global strategy was criticized as a corporate form of manifest destiny.
Variants and Related Words
- Manifest (verb): To show something clearly, through signs or actions.
- The symptoms began to manifest themselves a week later.
- Destiny (noun): The events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future; fate.
- She believed it was her destiny to become a great leader.
Synonyms
- Divine mission: A task believed to be assigned by God.
- Expansionist doctrine: A policy advocating territorial or economic expansion.
- Inevitable fate: A destiny that cannot be avoided.
Related Phrases
- "A destiny made manifest": A fate that is clearly revealed or demonstrated.
- The nation's growth from coast to coast was seen as a destiny made manifest.
Related Idioms
- "To fulfill one's destiny": To achieve what one is seemingly meant to do.
- He felt that by winning the championship, he had finally fulfilled his destiny. (Note: This idiom uses "destiny," not the specific phrase "manifest destiny.")
Noun
- a policy of imperialism rationalized as inevitable (as if granted by God)