see usage paragraph below
: carrying, staffed, or performed by one or more people
a manned security booth
manned spaceflight
a manned mission
Usage of Manned and Unmanned
While manned and unmanned are still commonly used in news sources to describe spaceflights with and without human crews, respectively, NASA has since the early 21st century used and prescribed gender-neutral terms, preferring such descriptors as human, piloted, and crewed for the former, and unpiloted and uncrewed for the latter.
Examples of manned in a Sentence
a manned mission to the moon
Recent Examples on the Web
The company specializes in cutting-edge manned and unmanned combat systems, artillery, and advanced ammunition to enhance survivability and operational efficiency on the battlefield.
—
Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Ham’s flight on MR-2 was a significant accomplishment on the American route toward manned space flight.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
The loyal wingman programs are one such strategic system, involving Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) flying alongside manned aircraft and coordinating to achieve several objectives.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
Grissom was the command pilot on Gemini 3, first manned flight of Project Gemini, and completed a three-orbit mission with John Young of Orlando.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manned
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Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Ham’s flight on MR-2 was a significant accomplishment on the American route toward manned space flight.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
The loyal wingman programs are one such strategic system, involving Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) flying alongside manned aircraft and coordinating to achieve several objectives.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
Grissom was the command pilot on Gemini 3, first manned flight of Project Gemini, and completed a three-orbit mission with John Young of Orlando.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manned
Cite this Entry
“Manned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manned. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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manned
adjective
: carrying or performed by a person
manned spaceflight
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