Manifest, a.
Etymology: [F. manifeste, L. manifestus, lit., struck by the hand, hence, palpable; manus hand + fendere (in comp.) to strike. See Manual, and Defend.]
1. Evident to the senses, esp. to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. Heb. iv. 13. That which may be known of God is manifest in them. Rom. i. 19. Thus manifest to sight the god appeared. Dryden.
2. Detected; convicted; -- with of. [R.] Calistho there stood manifest of shame. Dryden.
Syn. -- Open; clear; apparent; evident; visible; conspicuous; plain; obvious. -- Manifest, Clear, Plain, Obvious, Evident. What is clear can be seen readily; what is obvious lies directly in our way, and necessarily arrests our attention; what isevident is seen so clearly as to remove doubt; what is manifest is very distinctly evident. So clear, so shining, and so evident, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. Shak. Entertained with solitude, Where obvious duty erMilton. I saw, I saw him manifest in view, His voice, his figure, and his gesture knew. Dryden.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Manifest, n.; pl. Manifests.
1. A public declaration; an open statement; a manifesto. See Manifesto. [Obs.]
2. A list or invoice of a ship's cargo, containing a description by marks, numbers, etc., of each package of goods, to be exhibited at the customhouse. Bouvier.
Manifest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Manifested; p. pr. & vb. n. Manifesting.]
1. To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, -- usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit. There is nothing hid which shall not be manifested. Mark iv. 22. Thy life did manifest thou lovedst me not. Shak.
2. To exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices of; to declare at the customhouse.
Syn. -- To reveal; declare; evince; make known; disclose; discover; display.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for manifest; he lists it under clear, evident.
Where he writes about it:
That is manifest which we can lay the hand upon; manifest is thus stronger than evident, as touch is more absolute than sight; that the picture was a modern copy of an ancient work was evident, and on comparison with the original its inferiority was manifest. — from evident
Palpable and tangible express more emphatically the thought of manifest. — from evident