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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Their calamitous close to the first half featured something even more bizarre than the Clippers managing just one field goal in the last seven minutes. —Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023

While managing a bookstore on Harvard Square, he was lured to New York by ads in The Village Voice promoting the East Side Bookstore. —Sam Roberts, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023

These agreements lay the groundwork for limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, establishing the Palestinian Authority to manage administrative affairs in some areas. —Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2023

This could include offering flexible work schedules, remote work options, or part-time arrangements that allow parents to manage their work and childcare responsibilities more effectively. —Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023

According to our writer Jaina Grey, during testing the straps were easy to manage and adjust, were unobtrusive, and keep out of the way. —Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023

Similar to other opioids, naloxone has been used to manage tianeptine overdoses. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2023

Souter previously shared a family office with his sister, but the pair split due to different priorities for managing their money. —Ben Stupples, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023

At this time, Chen began to manage Robinson on projects for the home. —Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 12 Nov. 2023

Noun

But sometimes the government officials charged with speaking to the press manage to enhance our public discourse with cogent communication. —James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2023

More than 140 countries have signed up as participants in the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s sprawling infrastructure development program, and China now owns, manages, or has invested in more than 100 ports in some 60 countries. —Robert M. Gates, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2023

This not-trying-too-hard new-build manages to feel both timely and timeless. —Rachel Barrett, Country Living, 5 Sep. 2023

Tatum and Brown don’t load manage and Tatum spoke to summer campers last month about the importance of playing in every game. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2023

The slim fit manages to make these cargo pants look tapered and elevated as well. —Maverick Li, Men's Health, 28 July 2023

How will this unlikely duo manage — manage the game of golf, both on the course and off it, and manage to get along? —John Branch, New York Times, 12 June 2023

Meteorologists and weather models alike remain torn on which of the two battling systems will win — will the cutoff low and storminess from the south manage to creep north? —Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 25 May 2023

For the most part, Peter Pan Goes Wrong manages by keeping the action moving. —Vulture, 19 Apr. 2023

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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

• stage-manage
• co-manage

• stage-manage
• co-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