manager

manager — noun

1. A person whose job is to direct and control the work of a company, department, s

1.nounB1
Definition

A person whose job is to direct and control the work of a company, department, store, or other organization.

Example

The hotel manager greeted guests at the front desk and ensured their stay went smoothly.

role subject: the hotel manager

Emma asked her manager for feedback on the report before sending it to the board.

collocation: asked her manager for feedback

Common collocations
  • general manager
  • project manager
  • store manager
  • line manager
  • sales manager
  • hire a manager
  • report to a manager
  • assistant manager
  • regional manager
Synonyms
  • supervisor

    Focuses on overseeing daily tasks of workers rather than running an entire department or organization

  • director

    Higher-ranking role focused on strategy and long-term planning, not day-to-day operations

  • executive

    A senior-level leader in a corporation who makes company-wide decisions

Antonyms
  • employee

    A person who works under a manager's direction

Grammar Patterns

a manager + of + [organization/department]

the manager + of + [company/store/team]

Usage Note

Often combined with a job area to form a compound noun: 'sales manager', 'project manager', 'store manager', 'general manager'. The specific title tells you what kind of work the manager oversees.

Common Mistakes

She is a manager so she owns the company.
She is a manager, but the owner hired her to run the business.
A manager is usually an employee, not necessarily the owner.
The manager boss told us to finish early.
The manager told us to finish early.
'Manager' and 'boss' are different words; use only one.

2. An official who prepares athletes for competitions, decides on tactics, and runs

2.nounB1
Definition

An official who prepares athletes for competitions, decides on tactics, and runs a sports team from one season to the next.

Example

The football manager changed the team's formation after losing three matches in a row.

collocation: football manager / team formation

Ishaan has been manager of the national junior swimming team for five years.

pattern: manager of [team]

Common collocations
  • team manager
  • football manager
  • appoint a manager
  • sack a manager
  • club manager
  • basketball manager
Synonyms
  • head coach

    More common in American English for the person who trains and directs a team during games

  • trainer

    Focuses specifically on fitness and skill development rather than overall team strategy

Grammar Patterns

the manager + of + [team/sport/club]

[team] + manager

Usage Note

In British English, the person who leads a football (soccer) team is called the manager. In American English, this same role is usually called the head coach. For individual sports like boxing or tennis, the person who handles logistics and promotion is the manager, while the person who improves technique is the coach.

Common Mistakes

The basketball manager scored ten points in the game.
The basketball manager chose the starting lineup before the game.
A sports manager does not play in the game; they organize and train.
The American football manager called a timeout.
The American football head coach called a timeout.
In American sports, the person who directs the team during a game is the head coach, not the manager.

3. A person who handles the business side of a performer's career, including bookin

3.nounB2
Definition

A person who handles the business side of a performer's career, including booking events, negotiating contracts, and managing publicity.

Example

The singer's manager booked a world tour and negotiated a new record deal for her.

pattern: possessive + manager (the singer's manager)

Tamar's manager advised her to skip the role as it clashed with her album release.

Common collocations
  • talent manager
  • music manager
  • artist manager
  • personal manager
  • career manager
Synonyms
  • agent

    Focuses on finding specific jobs or gigs rather than overall career direction

  • representative

    Broader term that can include both managers and agents

  • talent manager

    Formal term emphasizing the role of developing a performer's career

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + manager

the manager + of + [performer]

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'agent': a manager handles overall career strategy and long-term decisions, while an agent finds specific jobs, gigs, or auditions for the performer.

Common Mistakes

The actress changed her manager and hired a new agent.
The actress changed her manager and also hired a new agent for booking specific roles.
A manager and an agent have different jobs; performers may work with both.
I called the film's manager to ask about release dates.
I called the film's publicist to ask about release dates.
For movies, the person who handles media questions is a publicist, not a manager.

4. A piece of software designed to help users organize, find, or control specific t

4.nounB2
Definition

A piece of software designed to help users organize, find, or control specific types of information or tasks on a computer.

Example

Chidi installed a password manager on his laptop to keep all his login details safe.

compound noun: password manager

The download manager let Linh pause and resume large files without losing her progress.

compound noun: download manager

Common collocations
  • password manager
  • file manager
  • task manager
  • download manager
  • window manager
  • device manager

Grammar Patterns

[function] + manager

Usage Note

Almost always used as part of a compound noun describing the type of data or task handled: 'password manager', 'file manager', 'task manager', 'download manager'. Rarely used alone.

Common Mistakes

I need a manager for my photos.
I need a photo manager for my pictures.
Use the specific compound form rather than 'manager' alone when referring to software.
The manager on my computer is very slow.
The file manager on my computer is very slow.
Be specific about which type of manager software you mean.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Manager, director, supervisor, executive, and boss all refer to people in positions of authority, but they differ in organizational level and scope of responsibility. A manager oversees a specific team, department, or project and handles day-to-day operations — for example, 'the marketing manager planned the advertising campaign.' A director typically works at a higher level, setting long-term strategy for an entire division or region: 'the finance director approved the annual budget for all departments.' A supervisor works directly with frontline staff, checking the quality of daily tasks: 'the warehouse supervisor inspected each shipment before it left.' An executive is a senior leader in a corporation (CEO, CFO, VP) who makes company-wide decisions: 'the executives met to discuss the merger.' Boss is an informal, general term for any person who has authority over workers — it can refer to a manager, supervisor, or even the owner depending on context: 'my boss let me leave early.' Use manager when the focus is on running a team or operation; director for strategy-level leadership; supervisor for direct oversight of workers; executive for corporate leadership; and boss in casual conversation.

manager ↗director ↗supervisor ↗executive ↗boss ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • department manager
  • senior manager
  • middle manager
  • assistant manager
  • deputy manager
  • general manager
  • regional manager
  • branch manager
  • acting manager

Phrases

  • deputy manager
  • acting manager
  • assistant to the manager

Prepositions

  • manager of
  • manager at
  • manager for

Etymology

LatinItalianEnglish

The word 'manager' comes from the verb 'manage', which entered English from Italian 'maneggiare' (to handle, especially a horse), which derives from Latin 'manus' (hand). The meaning expanded over centuries — first from handling horses, to handling tools or equipment, then to handling business affairs and people. The suffix '-er' indicates a person who performs the action, so a manager is literally 'one who handles things'.