Manipulé

Manipulé is the past participle of the French verb manipuler, meaning to handle, operate, or influence. As an adjective it denotes that something has been controlled, altered, or influenced by human action. It is used in a range of contexts, including data, images, and narratives: for example, données manipulées (manipulated data), image manipulée (edited image), or récit manipulé (manipulated narrative). The form agrees with gender and number: manipulé (masc. sing.), manipulée (fem. sing.), manipulés (masc. pl.), manipulées (fem. pl.).

The term also occurs, though less commonly, as a noun referring to a person who has been manipulated. In practice, clearer phrasing such as “la personne manipulée” is often preferred, but sociopolitical or psychological texts may use forms like “un manipulé.”

Etymology and sense development: manipulé derives from the verb manipuler, which comes from Old French manipuler, itself rooted in Latin manipulus meaning a handful or unit (often of soldiers). The modern sense of handling, controlling, or influencing extends from this idea of managing a set or a group through manual action.

Usage notes: The word carries a neutral technical sense in fields like data processing or media studies, but it can convey a negative connotation when describing coercive influence or deceit. In French, it is common to see related terms such as manipulation, manipulateur (the manipulator), and la manipulation to describe processes or actors involved in influence or alteration.