Lewis & Short

mănĭfestus, old form mănŭfestus (v. Lachm. ad Lucr. 2, 867), a, um. adj. [manus and fendo; cf.: defendo, offendo, i. e. that one hits by the hand; hence], palpable, clear, plain, apparent, evident, manifest.

  1. I. In gen. (class.): manifesta res est, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 8: Penates multo manifesti lumine, Verg. A. 3, 151: res ita notas, ita manifestas proferam, ut, Cic. Verr. 1, 16, 48: et apertae res, id. Rosc. Am. 34, 95: manifestus ex opere labor, Quint. 10, 3, 8: phrenesis, Juv. 14, 136.
    With inf.: manifestus nosci, Stat. Th. 10, 759.
    Comp.: manifestior fraus, Plin. 12, 25, 54, § 123.
    Sup.: manifestissimum exemplum, Plin. 37, 10, 60, 3 165.
    In neutr. sing. with a subjectclause, it is manifest that: manifestum est, ab exordio matutino latitudines scandi, Plin. 2, 16, 13, § 69.
    Neutr. plur. as subst.: mănĭfesta, orum, obvious facts, palpable things: vera ac manifesta canere, Juv. 2, 64.
  2. II. In partic., law t. t.
    1. A. Of offences, exposed, brought to light, proved by direct evidence: manifestum furtum est quod deprehenditur dum fit, Masur. ap. Gell. 11, 18, 11: atque deprehensum scelus, Cic. Cat. 3, 5, 11: peccatum, id. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 191; Gai. Inst. 3, 183 sqq.; Paul. Sent. 2, 31, 2.
    2. B. Of offenders, convicted of a thing, caught or apprehended in, manifestly betraying any thing; constr. absol., with a gen. or inf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.).
          1. (α) Absol.: nec magis manufestum ego hominem umquam ullum teneri vidi, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 29: ut eos (sc. conjuratos) quam maxume manifestos habeant, i. e. bring to light, expose, Sall. C. 41: nocentes, i. e. evidently guilty, Ov. Nux, 3.
          2. (β) With gen.: mendacii, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 30: sceleris, Sall. J. 35: rerum capitalium, id. C. 52, 36: ambitionis, Tac. A. 14, 29: offensionis, id. ib. 4, 53: doloris, Ov. F. 5, 313: vitae, giving manifest signs of life, Tac. A. 12, 51: magnae cogitationis, id. ib. 15, 54: novarum virium, Sen. Q. N. 4, 2, 8.
          3. (γ) With inf.: dissentire manifestus, Tac. A. 2, 57.
            Hence, adv., in two forms: mănĭfestō (class.) and mănĭ-festē (post-class.), palpably, clearly, openly, evidently, manifestly.
            Form manifesto: teneor manifesto miser, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 66: alter alterum manifesto prehendunt, id. Ps. 5, 1, 16; id. Most. 2, 2, 79: ut tota res a vobis manifesto deprehenderetur, Cic. Cat. 3, 2, 4: compertum atque deprehensum facinus, id. Clu. 14, 43: cum manifesto venenum deprehendisset, id. ib. 7, 20: apparet, Plin. 36, 22, 45, § 161; 9, 45, 69, § 148.
            Form manifeste, Sulp. Sev. Chron. 2, 7, 5; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 60; Dig. 50, 16, 243: manifeste comperire, App. M. 6, p. 180, 5.
            Comp.: manifestius ipsi apparere, Verg. A. 8, 16; Tac. H. 4, 23; 1, 88.
            Sup.: ut omnibus manifestissime pateat, App. Mag. p. 316, 26; so Dig. 33, 2, 32, § 6; Cod. Just. 4, 18, 2, § 1.