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Synonyms

manned

American  
[mand] / mænd /

adjective

  1. carrying or operated by one or more persons; crewed.

    a manned spacecraft.

  2. Falconry. (of a hawk) trained for hunting and accustomed to working with a human handler.


manned British  
/ mænd /

adjective

  1. supplied or equipped with men, esp soldiers

  2. (of spacecraft, aircraft, etc) having a human crew

"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

Other Word Forms

  • well-manned adjective

Etymology

Origin of manned

First recorded in 1610–20; man ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

“That cannot be right,” Livingston Holder, a former manned spaceflight engineer with the Air Force and space shuttle payload specialist, recalled thinking when he first heard that fact.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

On Wednesday, nurses with plastic aprons and face masks manned 15 tables in a sports hall at the University of Kent to begin immunisations, in scenes reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

This is the fourth U.S. manned aircraft taken down since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury — with none being hostile fire from Iran.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

The war with Iran, which started on Feb. 28, has featured thousands of military assets, including drones, missiles, interceptors, manned fighter jets, refueling planes, naval fleets, and scores of intelligence and reconnaissance tools.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

Still, the broadcasters knew—everyone in the audience knew—that even with twenty-six manned flights under NASA’s belt, this was different, and they struggled to come up with superlatives to capture the moment.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly