Definition

1. 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

1. a policy of imperialism rationalized as inevitable (as if granted by God)