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

Example Sentences

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

Changing your money habits is hard, especially if you were never properly taught how to manage your finances. —Abigail Bailey, Good Housekeeping, 22 Mar. 2023

These are absolutely critical skills that the leader of a municipality must have in order to effectively manage a community. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2023

Reagan’s other target was UC President Clark Kerr, a liberal educator of nationwide renown who had been the architect of the master plan but had been unable to figure out how to peacefully manage the Berkeley unrest. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2023

Toney left in February to coach the position for the Arizona Cardinals, fulfilling his NFL dream and allowing Raymond to manage all the pieces on the back end. —Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2023

The federal government plans to hire government contractors to manage the system. —Shira Stein, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023

If part of the magic comes from having a human in the loop to manage what seems like (but probably aren’t) relatively simple human-robot interactions, turning that into effective autonomy could be a real challenge. —IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023

The Feld family continued to manage the circus after it was sold to Mattel in 1971. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2023

At Michigan, Shuman said, there are multiple pharmacists whose full-time jobs are to manage drug shortages. —Jen Christensen, CNN, 22 Mar. 2023

Noun

Consider how to self-manage to be cognitively and emotionally agile. —Jacqueline Ashley, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023

Joy Organics Organic CBD Gummies Joy Organics Organic CBD Gummies are a great way to take your daily dose of CBD in a tasty and easy-to-manage way. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2023

In a centralized operating model, teams are organized to handle specific detailed workstreams, while automation and AI technology manage rote administrative tasks. —Tyler Christiansen, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023

The sequence of legal mechanic for the changeover was outlined by Mac C. Taylor, manage of the Vista Chamber of Commerce and secretary of the Vista Incorporation Group, the citizen organization that spearheaded the campaign. —Scott Boyles, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2023

So, how did a relatively young and small New York financial research firm manage to bring the Adani juggernaut to a juddering halt? —Diksha Madhok, CNN, 31 Jan. 2023

Catherine Parsekian manage to inject a few arms, others take notice and get their triceps ready as well. —USA Today, 13 Jan. 2023

Between their day jobs (Mitchell is an operations manage, Seagle is an engineer), brewing beer and operating the business, time off was rare. —Marc Bona, cleveland, 8 Dec. 2022

Her spare Friday also gives her the flexibility to stage-manage cabaret and circus shows and festivals. —Shafi Musaddique, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2022

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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