man

MAN/mæn/

Pluralmen

23 meanings of man

1
adult malenouncountable
An adult male human, or a similar male being in fiction.
He was a tall man with a gray beard.
Two men and a dog came up the lane.
UsageIn standard English, the plural is men, not mans: a man, two men, middle-aged men.
Similargentleman, fellow, male
Oppositewoman
Note
The narrowest everyday meaning, though the word did not start out narrow. Old English mann meant 'human being, person' as well as 'man', and the gender-neutral person still keeps that breadth.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
Old English mann had both gender-neutral and male-specific meanings. research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk
2
soldier or workernouncountable
A man who belongs to a group or works under someone, such as an employee, a representative or a soldier under an officer.
The union man spoke first.
The company's men were everywhere at the fair.
UsageThe group goes in front: a Harvard man, Secret Service men, a union man.
Similaremployee, worker, representative, subordinate
Note
Membership is carried by whatever comes before the noun. A Harvard man may be a student or graduate, and Secret Service men are agents. The modifier names the institution, and the phrase says the person belongs to it, whether by study, by employment or by allegiance. In the plural the pattern holds unchanged: two Secret Service men.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
The expression also applies to students; graduation is not required. news.harvard.edu
Secret Service men refers to agents belonging to the Secret Service. archives.gov
3
humankindnouncollectiveuncountable
Human beings as a whole; humankind, including early humans as a species.
Man has walked on the moon.
Is man naturally good or naturally violent?
UsageSingular with no article: Man has walked on the moon. Many writers now prefer humanity or humankind.
Similarhumankind, humanity
Note
Humanity as one abstract figure, taken in the singular: God created man, the conditions of man, modern industrial man. It is sometimes capitalized, as in Man's search for knowledge, to mark the abstraction. Do not confuse it with the male half alone. Here women are included, as the catechism's 'male and female' makes explicit.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
The Catechism of the Catholic Church uses 'male and female' explicitly to include both in its account of the creation of man. vatican.va
4
nouncountable
A human being of any gender or sex, usually an adult.
Time and tide wait for no man.
No man can serve two masters.
UsageMostly in fixed phrases: no man is an island, every man for himself. In new writing, person is clearer.
Similarperson, individual
Note
The older, wider meaning, straight from Old English mann, 'human being, person'. It lives on mostly in fixed phrases and old texts, where it plainly includes women: every man for himself, no man is an island, recompense to no man evil for evil.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
Man derives from Old English mann, meaning 'human being, person'. en.wiktionary.org
The phrase 'every man for himself' exemplifies the gender-inclusive meaning of man. en.wiktionary.org
The wording 'no man is an island' occurs in an older text with a general human reference. en.wikisource.org
The wording 'recompense to no man evil for evil' occurs in an older text as a general injunction. en.wikisource.org
5
said for emphasisinterjection
An exclamation that lends emphasis to a remark, whether or not the speaker is actually talking to a man.
Oh man, look at the time.
Man, this coffee is strong.
UsageAt the start or between commas: Man, I'm tired, Oh man.
Similarboy, wow, gosh, jeez
Note
An exclamation that has stopped addressing anyone in particular. It can open a sentence, as in man, that was a great catch, or interrupt one between commas: attractive enough but, man, they go on. Its job is pure emphasis, whether of admiration or exasperation, and no man need be present.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
The example ‘man, that was a great catch’ appears in Wiktionary. en.wiktionary.org
The wording ‘attractive enough but, man, they go on’ occurs in Bob Stanley’s Guardian article. theguardian.com
6
friendly (address)noun
A familiar term of address, usually to a man, sometimes showing impatience or urgency.
Take it easy, man.
Thanks for holding the door, man, I really appreciate it.
UsageCasual: Hey, man, Thanks, man. Said sharply, come on, man shows impatience.
Similarmate, buddy, pal, dude
Note
The friendly vocative works for an old friend or for a stranger who held the door, and whether the speaker knows the name changes nothing. Its near neighbors are my man, bro and brother. Said sharply, as in come on, man, it can show impatience, but hey, man, how's it going is simply a greeting.
7
nouncollectiveuncountable
All human males considered collectively; humankind in the male sense.
Man has always feared what woman knows, the essay claims.
The essay explores the changing roles of man and woman in marriage.
UsageNo article, often set against woman: modern man, man and woman.
Oppositewoman
Note
A singular that speaks for half the species, used without an article: modern man, set against modern woman. Only context separates it from the word for all humanity. The clearest signal is a counterpart: when woman stands opposite, the male reading is the one meant.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
Human males constitute approximately half the species. databank.worldbank.org
8
nouncountable
A woman's or partner's husband, boyfriend, or male lover.
Is he your man or just a friend?
All her men were musicians.
UsageWith a possessive: my man, her man, her new man.
Similarhusband, boyfriend, partner, lover
Note
A possessive usually does the work: with my, her or your in front, as in stay away from my man!, the word reads as lover. Without one it can still mean a partner, as in a man in her life, but more often it is just an adult male. Whether a marriage is involved is left open, and only what the listener knows settles it.
9
nouncountable
As the last part of a compound, a man whose work, skill or enthusiasm concerns a specified thing.
Ask the gas man to check the meter.
The delivery men left the new sofa in the hallway and drove off.
UsageThe thing handled goes in front, often as two words: the gas man, the ice cream man, a sound man.
Note
In the worker's compound, the thing handled comes first and the word names whoever handles it: a sound man on a film crew, a guitar man on tour. The same shape can also mark taste rather than duty, as in a dog man or a betting man.
10
nouncountable
A grown male notable for the traits traditionally seen as manly, like strength, integrity, and commitment to family; a mensch.
It takes a man to say sorry.
Be a man and tell her the truth yourself.
UsageCommon in be a man, more of a man and take it like a man.
Note
Here the word works as a standard to be met rather than a description. It turns up in comparisons and in what someone grows into: more a man than any pair of rats, mature enough to be a man. Because it praises, it can be denied to someone who is plainly male, and that is exactly the point of saying it.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
The example 'more a man than any pair of rats' occurs in a literary quotation. deriv.nls.uk
The wording 'mature enough to be a man' is attested. en.wiktionary.org

Less common meanings

11
verbtransitive
To work at, operate, or be in charge of something, or to supply a place with the people needed to run it.
Can you man the grill while I go get more ice?
The barricade was manned all night.
UsageCommon in commands and the passive: Man the boats!, the desk was manned all night.
Similarstaff, operate, crew, work, run
Note
The command form is where this meaning lives: man the machine guns! man the boat! as Ahab roars in Moby-Dick. The object is the thing to be worked, such as a gun or a boat. It also covers staffing a place, as in the barricade was manned all night.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
Ahab roars “Man the boat!” in Moby-Dick. etc.usf.edu
12
right personnouncountable
A person, usually male, who can meet one's requirements in a specified matter.
For old cars, Frank is your man.
Who's the man to ask about visas?
UsageCommon in your man, the man for the job and the man to see, said of women too.
Similarperson, guy
Note
A matter of fit, not sex. The usual frames are the man for the job, she's your man and he's their man, and they are freely said of women. Joanie, who volunteers for any dirty job that involves running, is 'your man'. The possessive points to whoever needs the help.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
Joanie is described as volunteering for dirty jobs requiring running and is called 'your man': 'Joanie volunteered, of course — if any dirty job is on offer requiring running, she's your man —'. en.wiktionary.org
13
nouncountable
In sports, the player one is marking, with the aim of limiting their attacking impact.
Each defender has a man to watch.
Both center backs lost their men at the corner.
UsageMostly with a possessive: his man, pick up your man.
Note
Marking language from team sports: a defender's man is the opponent assigned to them. The phrases describe the duel: a winger turns away from his man, or a defender's man kicks seven goals at his expense. Soccer and Australian football reports use it alike.
14
arcade livesnouncountable
In video games, one of the player's chances to play, lost when the character dies or certain mistakes are made.
In the old arcade game, you start with three men.
I lost my last man on the arcade game's final level.
Similarlife
Note
Arcade jargon for a life, which is lost when your character dies. Machines award an extra man once you pass a points threshold, and more as the score climbs. The plural is men, as with the noun everywhere else. Life is the plain synonym, and either word fits the same sentences.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
A life is lost when the player's character dies. basicfun.com
Arcade machines can award an extra man at a points threshold and further extra men as the score increases. device.report
15
nouncountable
Any of the counters or playing pieces that players move around a board in games like backgammon.
He lost a man in the first three moves.
Count the men on the backgammon board before you start.
Similarpiece, token
Note
Board-game pieces are men, sorted by color: white men on one side, black men opposite. Because a player commands a whole set, the word appears constantly in the plural. The usage reaches chess writing too, and an 1883 primer called Chess Simplified sets out its white and black men this way.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
A work titled Chess Simplified! gives instructions for a board game. chessbookchats.blogspot.com
Chess Simplified! describes white men placed on one side of the board and black men opposite. en.wiktionary.org
16
valetnouncountable
An adult male servant; a valet.
The colonel's man had served him for thirty years.
His lordship's man laid out the evening clothes and brushed the coat before dinner.
Similarvalet, servant, attendant
Oppositemaster
17
brave enoughadjective
Having manly qualities, used only before enough.
Be man enough to own your mistakes.
Nobody was man enough to speak first.
UsageOnly in man enough, mostly with to and a verb: man enough to admit it.
Similarmanly
18
feudal followernounhistoricalcountable
In historical use, a vassal or a subject.
A knight was his lord's man and owed him forty days' service.
The vassal, or tenant, kneeling, ungirt, uncovered, and holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he did become his man from that day forth, of life, limb, and earthly honour.
c. 1700, William Blackstone
Similarvassal, subject, retainer, follower
Oppositelord, master
Note
A historical word from feudal homage. In that ceremony a vassal knelt, put his hands between his lord's, and declared that he became his man, of life, limb and earthly honor. Old rhymes keep it alive, as in all the king's men. Use it of lords and subjects in the past, not of modern employees.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
The historical sense of man meaning a vassal is associated with feudal homage. avalon.law.yale.edu
During homage, a vassal knelt, placed his hands between his lord's, and professed that he became his man, of life, limb and earthly honor. famguardian.org
Man in this proverb means a servant, rather than specifically a vassal or subject. pubhtml5.com
All the king's men occurs in a traditional rhyme. blogs.loc.gov
19
verbdatedreflexivetransitive
To brace or steel oneself in a manly way, used reflexively.
he manned himself heroically
1876, Julian Hawthorne, Saxon Studies
Similarsteel, brace, nerve, fortify
Note
A reflexive verb for gathering courage, and possibly dated: he manned himself heroically. The everyday successor is the phrasal verb man up, which needs no reflexive pronoun. If you use the older form, the pronoun is required: man yourself, not man alone.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
The older reflexive use means to gather courage; 'he manned himself heroically' is an attested example. en.wiktionary.org
20
people in generalpronoundialectalMulticultural London English
In Multicultural London English, used as a pronoun for oneself, the person spoken to, or people in general.
Man can't get a seat on that bus.
What's man supposed to do?
Note
An indefinite pronoun with a long past. A fourteenth-century Middle English romance speaks of all the colors that man may see of flowers. In Multicultural London English slang it can point to the speaker, the listener or people in general, as in man don't care, and only context shows which.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
English historically had an indefinite pronoun man. en.wiktionary.org
A Middle English romance contains the passage about all the colors that man may see of flowers. en.wiktionary.org
Libeaus Desconus dates to the mid-fourteenth century. Wiktionary's circa 1450 citation should not be presented as the romance's original date. isdistribution.com
Depending on context, MLE man can refer to the speaker, listener, other specific people, or people generally. link.springer.com
21
nounobsoleteuncountable
The quality or state of being manly; manliness.
Note
An obsolete mass noun for the quality itself, with no article and no plural. In Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour (1598), a character describes a bearing 'so full of man, and sweetness in his carriage'. Recognize it in older verse, but write manliness when you need the idea now.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
Man historically meant manliness as an obsolete, uncountable noun. en.wiktionary.org
Ben Jonson wrote 'so full of man, and sweetness in his carriage' to describe someone's bearing. hcmc.uvic.ca
22
verbobsolete
To serve someone, or to go along with them as an escort.
23
verbobsolete
To get a hawk or other bird used to being around people.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–10, 12–18, 20–21

From Middle English 'man', from Old English 'mann' ('human being, person, man'), from Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic '*mann-', probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European '*mon-' ('human being, man'). It is related to Dutch 'man', German 'Mann', and Swedish 'man'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

English man descends from Middle English man and Old English mann, meaning human being, person, or man. en.wiktionary.org
The ancestry passes through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic; the source writes the forms *mann and *mann-, respectively. en.wiktionary.org
Proto-Indo-European *mon-, meaning human being or man, is a probable ultimate ancestor. en.wiktionary.org
Dutch man, German Mann, and Swedish man are cognates. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 11, 19

Old English built the verb mannian (also ġemannian), meaning "to man, supply with men, populate, garrison," on the noun mann ("human being, man"), and it became Middle English mannen. Dutch and German bemannen are related.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

The Old English verb mannian, also ġemannian, was formed from the noun mann. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English verb meant to man, supply with men, populate, or garrison. en.wiktionary.org
Old English mann meant human being or man. en.wiktionary.org
The verb developed into Middle English mannen. en.wiktionary.org
Dutch bemannen and German bemannen are related to the English verb. en.wiktionary.org