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Synonyms

city manager

American  

noun

  1. a person not publicly elected but appointed by a city council to manage a city.


city manager British  

noun

  1. (in the US) an administrator hired by a municipal council to manage its affairs See also council-manager plan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of city manager

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A city manager in Oklahoma is accused of signing voter registration forms for 11 residents.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

“For the last two years, we’ve adopted deficit budgets,” said Newton, the erstwhile city manager.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

“We’re heading toward insolvency,” Newton said before he resigned as city manager to take a position in Tehama County government.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Lopez, the city manager, said the four targeted officials are still fulfilling their duties, despite the verbal attacks from Facebook and elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

If you took a poll, few people in town could tell you who the mayor was, or the police chief, or the city manager.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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