Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person responsible for controlling or administering an organization, group of staff, or set of resources: A manager is someone who is in charge of the daily operations, decision-making, and personnel within a business, department, or team.
   • A person who oversees the training and direction of an athlete or sports team: In sports, a manager is responsible for the strategy, selection, and conditioning of players or a team.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She was promoted to the position of project manager. (She was given the job of leading and organizing the project.)
  • The store manager is responsible for inventory and staff schedules. (The person in charge of the store handles stock and employee work hours.)
  • The team's manager decided to change the starting lineup. (The person directing the sports team made a change to the players who would begin the game.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be one's own manager": to be self-directed or in control of one's own work and decisions.
  • As a freelancer, you have to be your own manager. (You must organize and discipline yourself.)
• "Middle manager": a manager who is in charge of a department or division and reports to higher-level executives.
  • He worked as a middle manager in the marketing department for ten years. (He supervised a team but was not part of the top company leadership.)

Variants and Related Words

• Management (n): the process or practice of managing, controlling, or administering something.
  • Good management is key to a company's success.
• Manage (v): to be in charge of, administer, or run something; to succeed in doing or dealing with something.
  • She manages a team of twenty people.
• Managerial (adj): relating to the work of a manager.
  • He is taking a course to improve his managerial skills.

Synonyms

• Administrator: A person responsible for running a business, organization, or system.
• Supervisor: A person who oversees and directs the work of others.
• Director: A senior person who manages or leads an organization or activity.
• Executive: A person with senior managerial responsibility in a business.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Manage up: The practice of consciously working with one's own manager to achieve the best possible results for all parties.
  • A key skill for employees is learning how to effectively manage up. (Learning to work well with your own boss is important.)

Related Idioms

• "To have a good head for management": to have a natural skill or talent for organizing and leading people.
  • She has a good head for management and was quickly promoted.
• "To be in the manager's chair": to be in a position of authority or control.
  • Now that you're in the manager's chair, the final decision is yours.

Noun

1. (sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team
2. someone who controls resources and expenditures