# Manning

/ˈmænɪŋ/ (US) · /mˈænɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/manning
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. operating or guarding

verb · CEFR B2

to be at a place to work there or look after it, like a reception desk or a ship.

For teachers: to provide personnel for the operation, service, or defence of a station, vehicle, or machine.

- Only one person was manning the reception desk when I arrived at the hotel.
- The security firm was responsible for manning all entry points during the high-profile international summit to ensure attendee safety.

Usage: This is the present participle form of the verb 'man'; it takes a direct object representing the station or equipment.

Teaching tip: While 'manning' is standard, some modern professional contexts prefer gender-neutral alternatives like 'staffing' or 'operating'.

## Examples

- She is manning the front desk until the manager returns.
- Volunteers will be manning the phones throughout the weekend to collect donations for the charity.
- Despite the automation of the facility, a small crew remains on-site manning the control room to intervene in case of a system failure.

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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.