noun
- Plural of manito; spiritual beings or forces in Algonquian and other Native American belief systems.
Usage: Also spelled manitou or manitous; Primarily used in anthropological and cultural contexts; Refers to supernatural entities in Indigenous North American religions
Examples
- The Ojibwe people believed in various manitos that inhabited the natural world.
- According to Algonquian tradition, manitos could be benevolent or malevolent.
- Scholars of Native American religions study the role of manitos in traditional belief systems.
- The concept of manitos reflects a spiritual understanding of nature and the cosmos.