Trying to control or influence others cleverly and often dishonestly, like pulling invisible strings to make them do what you want.
From Latin 'manipulus' (handful, literally 'hand-full') + '-ative.' The original meaning was about handling with hands; it evolved to mean skillfully handling situations, then dishonestly controlling people.
The root 'manipulus' literally means a handful of something, which is why the word works so perfectly—manipulative people treat others like putty in their hands, as objects they can mold and control by touch.
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