manager

American  

[man-i-jer] / ˈmæn ɪ dʒər /

noun

• managers
  plural

1. a person who has control or direction of an institution, business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it.

   Synonyms:

   boss, supervisor, superintendent, executive, administrator

2. a person who manages.

   the manager of our track team.

3. a person who controls and manipulates resources and expenditures, as of a household.

4. British. (formerly) a theatrical producer.

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manager British  

/ ˈmænɪdʒə /

noun

1. a person who directs or manages an organization, industry, shop, etc

2. a person who controls the business affairs of an actor, entertainer, etc

3. a person who controls the training of a sportsman or team

4. a person who has a talent for managing efficiently

5. law a person appointed by a court to carry on a business during receivership

6. (in Britain) a member of either House of Parliament appointed to arrange a matter in which both Houses are concerned

7. a computer program that organizes a resource, such as a set of files or a database

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Usage

What does manager mean? Manager most commonly refers to a person who supervises employees in a company or other organization. Managers are typically somewhere in the middle level of an organization—the term most commonly refers to a person who is a boss but also has a boss. Manager is the noun form of the verb manage, which has many meanings but commonly means to be in charge of or supervise employees. Example: After six years, I’ve finally been promoted to the position of manager.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• managership
  noun
• submanager
  noun
• submanagership
  noun
• undermanager
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• managers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of manager

First recorded in 1580–90; manage + -er ¹

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Explanation

It makes sense that a manager is someone who "manages," or takes charge of something. A baseball team manager is in charge of running the team, while a business manager oversees finances, scheduling, and the everyday operation of the business. The probable origin of the word manager comes from the Latin manus, meaning "hand." A good manager provides the necessary "hand," guiding others. The Italian maneggiare means "to control," and was especially used with reference to training horses, a job for which certain managers you've worked for might be better suited. The word extends beyond human beings as well: the file manager on your computer is a program designed to organize data.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manager managers

Andree Jeglertz, manager of champions Manchester City, agrees, acknowledging that the fact women's football has a much bigger audience now is a huge positive.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy went to his bullpen 14 times and just twice did a reliever give up a run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

“We still need to find a counter-jet solution,” said Lika Volovych, a manager at the Zirka’s manufacturer Noctis, as she watched it buzz high above.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Yes, we're looking for those players renowned for making a devastating impact off the bench, those guaranteed game-changers a manager turns to when in desperate need of a goal.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Dad is a construction manager, and when he got this really good contract in Arizona, it was supposed to be a temporary gig.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

To give employees more autonomy, managers should first lay out clear guidelines, principles and guardrails for the work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He said many portfolio managers would prefer to own Nvidia headed into 2027 rather than the athletic apparel company that’s struggling to engineer a turnaround.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Fund managers worldwide keep a close eye on what countries are included or excluded in MSCI's indexes as that can trigger adjustments to their portfolios.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

I know the Cottagers are not a club known for going through managers but if they lose this then the pressure will really be on Arbeloa.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

He had friends among promoters and trainers and coaches and managers across the country.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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Related Words

• administrator
• boss
• controller
• director
• executive
• officer
• official
• organizer
• producer
• superintendent
• supervisor

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