manor

noun

man·​or ˈma-nər How to pronounce manor (audio)
1
a
: the house or hall of an estate : mansion
b
: a landed estate
2
a
: a unit of English rural territorial organization
especially : such a unit in the Middle Ages consisting of an estate under a lord enjoying a variety of rights over land and tenants including the right to hold court
b
: a tract of land in North America occupied by tenants who pay a fixed rent in money or kind to the proprietor
manorial adjective
Phrases
to the manor born
: born into circumstances of wealth and privilege
was to the manor born but as a politician he acquired some proletarian touchesAlbert Scardino

Examples of manor in a Sentence

the old family manor has 117 rooms
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Whitehouse—a grand Georgian manor facing the bleak Essex salt marshes—had been locked from the inside when the family’s bodies were discovered. Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025 Virginia‘s countryside is dotted with traditional farmhouses and manors, but one in the foothills of the Southwest Mountains has been given a contemporary twist by a New York architect. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025 For instance, this year’s manor includes a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge in the basement erected from scratch. Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025 The Traitors Canada is based on the Dutch show De Verraders and follows a group of strangers who live in a historic manor in the Montréal area. Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maner, from Old French manoir, from manoir to sojourn, dwell, from Latin manēre — more at mansion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of manor was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Manor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manor. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

manor

noun
man·​or ˈman-ər How to pronounce manor (audio)
: a usually large estate
especially : one granted to a feudal lord
manorial adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on manor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!