manner

noun

man·ner | \ ˈma-nər

Definition of manner

1a(1) : a characteristic or customary mode of acting : custom stopped to speak, after the manner of the country— Ellen Glasgow

(2) : a mode of procedure or way of acting : fashion responded in a lively manner

(3) : method of artistic execution (see execution sense 1) or mode of presentation : style offers plenty of room for many jazz manners Wilder Hobson

b manners plural : social conduct or rules of conduct as shown in the prevalent customs Victorian manners

c : characteristic or distinctive bearing (see bearing sense 1), air, or deportment his poised gracious manner

d manners plural

(1) : habitual conduct or deportment : behavior mind your manners

(2) : good manners Someone should teach you some manners.

e : a distinguished or stylish air taught to acquire a manner suitable to her station

2a : kind, sort what manner of man is he

b : kinds, sorts all manner of problems

to the manner born

: fitted by or as if by birth or rearing to a particular position, role, or status was not to the manner born, and did not go to prep schools or to an Ivy League school— Peter Tryell

Other Words from manner Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing manner Learn More About manner

Choose the Right Synonym for manner

bearing, deportment, demeanor, mien, manner, carriage mean the outward manifestation of personality or attitude. bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture. a woman of regal bearing deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training. your deportment was atrocious demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior. the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor. a mien of supreme self-satisfaction manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others. the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking. the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

method, mode, manner, way, fashion, system mean the means taken or procedure followed in achieving an end. method implies an orderly logical arrangement usually in steps. effective teaching methods mode implies an order or course followed by custom, tradition, or personal preference. the preferred mode of transportation manner is close to mode but may imply a procedure or method that is individual or distinctive. an odd manner of conducting way is very general and may be used for any of the preceding words. has her own way of doing things fashion may suggest a peculiar or characteristic way of doing something. rushing about in his typical fashion system suggests a fully developed or carefully formulated method often emphasizing rational orderliness. a filing system

Examples of manner in a Sentence

She has a very forceful manner of speaking. I objected to the manner in which the decision was made. Some people have no manners. Someone should teach you some manners! He forgot his manners and reached across the table for the salt. He painted this picture in his early manner. See More

Recent Examples on the Web In typical manner, the Alfabia manor house, with Gothic roots and Baroque additions, is built around a courtyard whose portal still has a Quranic frieze in Arabic below the coffered wood ceiling. — John Oseid, Forbes, 2 May 2022 When Milo Yiannopoulos or Richard Spencer come to campus, administrations try to throw their time, place and manner codes at the problem, but that doesn’t settle it. — David Marchese, New York Times, 1 May 2022 Boughton also told the CT Mirror in a recent interview that the administration might want to pursue privatized tax collection in a different manner than the IRS has. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2022 Our clients want their staff members to represent their company or their brand in the most professional manner. — Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2022 But the manner in which the play approaches its subject doesn’t always serve the broader point. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2022 This is because of genetic differences between individuals and because of the manner in which T cells recognize antigens. — Esther Landhuis, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2022 Though the specifics haven’t been revealed, insiders say that the finished film can take on myriad different forms depending on the platform or manner in which it is being viewed. — Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Apr. 2022 That manner comes off, here, as only one of his many aspects of self-portraiture. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'manner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.