manage
/ˈmanɪdʒ
/verb
1 [with object] Be in charge of (a business, organization, or undertaking); run: their elder son managed the farm...
- Focus on experiences pertinent to operating and managing a farm business as well as community activities that you and your family are involved in.
- The business is managed by son Robert and daughters Helen and Jane.
- The elder son Ashok manages the business while the younger son helps him.
1.1Have the position of supervising (staff) at work: the skills needed to manage a young, dynamic team...
- I have just been promoted to supervisor in an insurance-claims office, managing a staff of 15.
- Mr Main has been head chef there for two years, managing a kitchen staff of 16.
- The sisters discovered that managing a staff of 15 with entrenched work practices was not easy.
1.2Be the manager of (a sports team or a performer): he managed five or six bands in his career...
- He acknowledged the input of Stephen Dormer who had assisted him in managing the team but who was unable to be present this week.
- Richie Bell was managing the senior team up until the time of his death in February 1994 and his accomplishment of winning three All-Ireland titles in a row by that stage was difficult to follow.
- Andy Deery is managing the team and anyone who would like to play should ring him.
1.3Use (money, time, or other resources) sensibly: we manage our cash extremely well...
- Free access to additional borrowings can make life easy for those who manage their money sensibly, but prove a disaster for spendthrifts.
- This should serve as a grim warning to those poised to embark on their university careers of the need to manage their money sensibly.
- The back office mobilises financial resources and manages funds.
Synonyms
organize, take care of, administer, regulate, deal with efficiently
1.4Maintain control over (a person or animal): she manages horses better than anyone I know...
- They were spooked, but found a way to manage him.
- His mother cannot manage him due to his problems and there were also fears for his safety in the community if he was released, the court had also heard.
- It broke my heart to put her in there but doctors told me I wouldn't be able to manage her.
1.5Control the use or exploitation of (land): the forest is managed to achieve maximum growth...
- If family forest owners can convince the public that they are managing their lands for long-term sustainability, they believe that can lead to reduced regulations.
- In exchange, the landowners manage their land to provide habitat for the desired species.
- Family forest landowners (often known as tree farmers) take pride in managing their lands.
2 [no object] Succeed in surviving or in achieving something despite difficult circumstances; cope: Catherine managed on five hours' sleep a night...
- You can get the best of Middle Eastern, especially Egyptian, spices and spice mixes in the dingy shops where you can manage with Hindi.
- As James Marshall Bridge states, more has to be shared, so it stands to reason that Joe Public has to manage with less as there will be less to go round.
- It does mean that we are going to have to rent out a base in the centre of town for about a month around festival time, but we'll manage with that.
Synonyms
cope, get along/on, make do, be/fare/do all right, carry on, survive, deal with the situation, scrape by/along, muddle through/along, fend for oneself, shift for oneself, make ends meet, weather the storm
informal make out, get by, hack it
2.1 [with object] Succeed in achieving or producing (something difficult): she managed a brave but unconvincing smile [with infinitive]: Blanche finally managed to hail a cab...
- While these tasks can be managed, it is difficult to do so effectively and in a timely manner.
- Overall, the new President can be said to have managed a fairly difficult balancing act.
- He tried to find his voice, but it was difficult for him to manage anything but a feeble sounding grunt.
Synonyms
accomplish, achieve, do, carry out, perform, undertake, bring about/off, effect, finish, succeed in, contrive, engineer
2.2 [with object] Succeed in dealing with or withstanding (something): there was more stress and anxiety than he could manage...
- Those suffering from Tourette's need help to develop strategies for dealing with and managing their tics, and, where necessary, medical treatment.
- But I had managed to get a supply of special tablets that turn your stomach to concrete, so I could manage the flight.
- As a footnote, I would reluctantly object to the consumption of food in the mall, but this could easily be dealt with in the same way the shops manage the problem.
2.3 [with object] Be free to attend at (a certain time): he could not manage 24 March after all
Origin
Mid 16th century (in the sense 'put (a horse) through the paces of the manège'): from Italian maneggiare, based on Latin manus 'hand'.
Managers now manage businesses, but the first things to be managed were horses. The earliest sense of manage in English was ‘to handle or train a horse’, or put it through the exercises of the manège (mid 17th century). This French word, used in English to mean ‘an area in which horses and riders are trained’ and ‘horsemanship’, is at root the same word as manage—both go back through Italian to Latin manus ‘hand’, the source also of manacles (Middle English) which restrain your hands; manicure (late 19th century) care of your hands; manipulate (early 19th century) to handle something; manner; manoeuvre; manual (Late Middle English) either done with your hands or a handbook; and manuscript (late 16th century) something written by hand.