1 [sing.] (formal) the way that sth is done or happens:
She answered in a businesslike manner. * The manner in which the decision was announced was extremely regrettable.
2 [sing.] the way that sb behaves and speaks towards other people:
to have an aggressive / a friendly / a relaxed manner * His manner was polite but cool.
seealsoBEDSIDEMANNER
3 (manners) [pl.] behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture:
to have good / bad manners * It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full. * He has no manners (= behaves very badly). * She could at least have the good manners to let me know she won't be able to attend.
seealsoTABLEMANNERS
4 (manners) [pl.] (formal) the habits and customs of a particular group of people:
the social morals and manners of the seventeenth century
IDIOMS
all manner of sb/sth many different types of people or things:
The problem can be solved in all manner of ways. * He enjoyed interacting with all manner of different people.
in a manner of speaking if you think about it in a particular way; true in some but not all ways:
The warring governments could be seen as terrorists too, in a manner of speaking.
in the manner of sb/sth (formal) in a style that is typical of sb/sth:
a painting in the manner of Raphael
(as / as if) to the manner born (formal) as if sth is natural for you and you have done it many times in the past:
She adapted to life on the estate as if to the manner born.
what manner of... (formal or literary) what kind of...:
What manner of man could do such a terrible thing?
