manner (manners plural )
1 n-sing The manner in which you do something is the way that you do it.
with supp
She smiled again in a friendly manner..., I'm a professional and I have to conduct myself in a professional manner..., The manner in which young children are spoken to varies depending on who is present.
2 n-sing Someone's manner is the way in which they behave and talk when they are with other people, for example whether they are polite, confident, or bad-tempered.
usu poss N
His manner was self-assured and brusque...
♦
-mannered comb in adj
Forrest was normally mild-mannered, affable, and untalkative..., The British are considered ill-mannered, badly dressed and unsophisticated.
3 n-plural If someone has good manners, they are polite and observe social customs. If someone has bad manners, they are impolite and do not observe these customs.
He dressed well and had impeccable manners..., They taught him his manners.
4
→
bedside manner
→
table manners
5 If you refer to all manner of objects or people, you are talking about objects or people of many different kinds.
♦
all manner of phrase PHR n
Mr Winchester is impressively knowledgeable about all manner of things.
6 You say in a manner of speaking to indicate that what you have just said is true, but not absolutely or exactly true.
♦
in a manner of speaking phrase PHR with cl (vagueness)
(=in a way)
An attorney is your employee, in a manner of speaking...