a person whose job is to organize and direct the work and staff of a business, department, or project
After the store opened, the manager greeted customers and checked that every shelf was tidy.
Maria was promoted to project manager after leading the team to finish ahead of schedule.
✦ From manage + -er, originally meaning someone who handles or controls something; recorded in English since the 16th century.
a person who arranges and oversees the professional life, schedule, and business deals of a performer or athlete
The young singer thanked her manager for booking the sold-out tour.
A good sports manager negotiates contracts and protects the athlete’s interests.
✦ Extended from the general sense of someone who manages, applied to show business in the late 19th century.
a software program or device that organizes and controls a particular set of resources, such as files, tasks, or passwords, on a computer or phone
Use a password manager to create strong, unique passwords for every website.
The phone’s file manager lets you move photos into new folders.
✦ By extension from the human role, applied to computer programs in the late 20th century as software began to automate organizational tasks.
