mannered

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adjective man·nered \ ˈma-nərd \

Definition of mannered

1 :having manners of a specified kind

well-mannered

2 a :having or displaying a particular manner

b :having an artificial or stilted character

passages … so mannered as to be unintelligible
—R. G. G. Price

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Recent Examples of mannered from the Web

The nine-speed, which is coupled to the engine with a clutch pack, is smooth and well mannered.

— joe lorio, Car and Driver, "2018 Mercedes-Benz S-class," 18 July 2017
Jim Reid's insouciant, comatose bellows are nearly opposite the Ronettes now-iconic, well-mannered harmonies.

— natalie weiner, Billboard, "What Is It About The Ronettes' 'Be My Baby'? Some of the Countless Artists to Lift the Iconic Drum Beat Weigh In," 14 July 2017
But the mild-mannered 69-year-old politician realized traditional forms of resistance were futile after Erdogan narrowly won a referendum in April to vastly expand his powers over government, parliament and the judiciary.

— firat kozok, Bloomberg.com, "In 250-Mile March, Turkey’s Opposition Starts to Find Its Way," 5 July 2017
But as a mild-mannered getaway guy in Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx’s goon squad in Baby Driver (out now), Elgort’s left those cocky manboys in the dust.

— jessica kantor, Glamour, "'Baby Driver' Star Ansel Elgort on Regrets, Success, and His Longtime Girlfriend," 5 July 2017
Extremely polite, well-mannered and worked so hard to complete their projects.

— charlotteobserver, "More than 200 teenagers spend a day serving the community," 3 July 2017
Two weeks after joining the administration, the mild-mannered career prosecutor wrote a three-page memo that the president used to justify firing F.B.I. director James Comey.

— chris smith, The Hive, "The Trump Obstruction Case Is Gathering Momentum," 22 June 2017
That is a worthy vision to promote, but it should not be confused with the dictates of free speech, which allows for a messier, more ill-mannered form of public discourse.

— thomas healy, The Atlantic, "Who's Afraid of Free Speech?," 18 June 2017
But the threat roused Mr. Northam, 57, a mild-mannered physician.

— jonathan martin, New York Times, "Ed Gillespie and Ralph Northam Beat Upstarts in Virginia Governor Primaries," 13 June 2017

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

First Known Use of mannered

14th century

MANNERED Defined for English Language Learners

mannered

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adjective

Definition of mannered for English Language Learners

: behaving in a certain way
: formal in a way that is intended to impress other people

MANNERED Defined for Kids

mannered

play

adjective man·nered \ ˈma-nərd \

Definition of mannered for Students

:having manners of a specified kind

mild-mannered

Learn More about mannered

Spanish Central: Translation of mannered Nglish: Translation of mannered for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mannered for Arabic speakers

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mannered

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