manage

1 of 2

verb

man·​age ˈma-nij 

managed; managing

transitive verb

1

: to handle or direct with a degree of skill: such as

a

: to exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction of

manage a business

manage a bond issue

manages a baseball team

b

: to treat with care : husband

managed his resources carefully

c

: to make and keep compliant

can't manage their child

2

: to direct the professional career of

an agency that manages entertainers

3

: to succeed in accomplishing : contrive

managed to escape from prison

4

: to work upon or try to alter for a purpose

manage the press

manage stress

intransitive verb

1

: to achieve one's purpose

He managed only by careful planning.

2

a

: to direct or carry on business or affairs

also : to direct a baseball team

b

: to admit of being carried on

manage

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the schooling or handling of a horse

b

: a riding school

c

archaic : the action and paces of a trained riding horse

2

obsolete : management

Synonyms

Verb

• address
• contend (with)
• cope (with)
• field
• grapple (with)
• hack
• handle
• maneuver
• manipulate
• negotiate
• play
• swing
• take
• treat

Choose the Right Synonym for manage

conduct, manage, control, direct mean to use one's powers to lead, guide, or dominate.

conduct implies taking responsibility for the acts and achievements of a group.

conducted negotiations

manage implies direct handling and manipulating or maneuvering toward a desired result.

manages a meat market

control implies a regulating or restraining in order to keep within bounds or on a course.

controlling his appetite

direct implies constant guiding and regulating so as to achieve smooth operation.

directs the store's day-to-day business

Examples of manage in a Sentence

Verb

The business is managed by the owner's daughter.

The company is badly managed.

When she managed the department, we never missed a deadline.

He manages his own finances.

an agency that manages entertainers

He is skillful in managing horses.

There's enough food if we manage it well.

We need to do a better job of managing our natural resources.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If there’s irony to be mined from the case of an investigative journalist trying to hide potentially reputation-destroying information, the series doesn’t manage it. —Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024

In total, the E.U. has paid Russia over €196 billion for oil, gas, and coal since February 2022, money that has kept the Kremlin flush—Russia has even managed to rebuild its military. —Suriya Jayanti, TIME, 20 Oct. 2024

Noun

Clapton’s latest manages to reach both the Official Album Downloads and Official Americana rankings, and, coincidentally, in the same position. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024

Nail artist Marnie’s pearly, high-shine design manages to make bandages look pretty — without feeling kitsch. —Mica Ricketts, refinery29.com, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Italian maneggiare, from mano hand, from Latin manus

Noun

Italian maneggio management, training of a horse, from maneggiare

First Known Use

Verb

1561, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Phrases Containing manage

• co-manage
• stage-manage

Kids Definition

manage

verb

man·​age

ˈman-ij

managed; managing

1

: to look after and make decisions about : direct

manage a factory

2

: to make and keep under one's control : handle

manages her skis well

skill in managing horses

3

: to treat with care : husband

there's enough food if it's managed well

4

: to succeed in one's purpose : get along

manages despite a heavy schedule

always manages to win somehow

5

: to work upon or try to alter for a purpose

manage stress

6

: to direct the professional career of

an agency managing performers

manageability

ˌman-ij-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

manageable

ˈman-ij-ə-bəl

adjective

Etymology

Verb

from Italian maneggiare "to handle, direct, manage," from mano "hand," from Latin manus "hand" — related to maneuver, manual, manufacture see Word History at maneuver

Medical Definition

manage

transitive verb

man·​age ˈman-ij 

managed; managing

: to conduct the management of

poorly managed diabetes