# manned

/ˈmænd/ (US) · /mˈænd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/manned
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. operated by people

adjective · CEFR B2

having a person inside to control or operate it.

For teachers: describing a vehicle or craft, particularly in aerospace, that carries and is operated by a human crew.

- The first manned mission to the moon took place in 1969.
- Engineers debated whether a manned expedition to Mars was safer than sending a fleet of autonomous rovers to collect samples.

### 2. staffed by workers

adjective · CEFR B2

having people working at a place to help customers or do a job.

For teachers: describing a station, desk, or facility that is currently occupied by staff members.

- The hotel has a manned reception desk twenty-four hours a day.
- For security reasons, the entrance to the research facility must remain manned at all times, even during public holidays.

## Examples

- The station is manned twenty-four hours a day.
- The agency is planning the first manned mission to Mars within the next two decades.
- While drones are increasingly common for surveillance, certain high-security checkpoints remain manned to ensure that a human can exercise judgment in complex situations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.