Definitions

manifest destiny

[man-uh-fest des-tuh-nee] / ˈmæn əˌfɛst ˈdɛs tə ni /

NOUN

expansionist doctrine

Synonyms

WEAK

colonialism expansionism imperialism neocolonialism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tucked into his speech was a mention of the 19th Century doctrine of "manifest destiny" – the idea that the US was divinely ordained to expand its territory across the continent, spreading American ideals.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

When Borglum orchestrated the first dedication of Mount Rushmore in 1925, the emphasis was on “Empire,” on manifest destiny.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2025

Trump: "We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars."

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025

It was a new form of manifest destiny, 100% California and oblivious to its potential wreckage.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2024

But because ambition succeeds best when disguised by virtue, he wanted to furnish the Alliance with an animating ideology—a manifest destiny, as it were, or mission civilisatrice.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann