manned

1 of 2

adjective

ˈmand How to pronounce manned (audio)
see usage paragraph below
: carrying, staffed, or performed by one or more people
a manned security booth
manned spaceflight
a manned mission
Usage of Manned and Unmanned

While manned and unmanned are still commonly used in news sources to describe spaceflights with and without human crews, respectively, NASA has since the early 21st century used and prescribed gender-neutral terms, preferring such descriptors as human, piloted, and crewed for the former, and unpiloted and uncrewed for the latter.

manned

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of man entry 2

Examples of manned in a Sentence

Adjective a manned mission to the moon
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
There will also be flight restrictions around downtown Dallas for manned and unmanned aircraft. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The plan is to use a network of underwater sensors that can be launched from both manned and unmanned platforms. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026 Currently, military forces worldwide are using drone boats in tandem with larger manned surface vessels. — Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 By still spending so much on conventional manned equipment, the United States and many other countries are diverting funds from more efficient systems. — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for manned

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1583, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manned was in 1583

Rhymes for manned

See All Rhymes for manned

Browse Nearby Words

Mannar, Gulf of
manned
mannequin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manned. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

manned

adjective
ˈmand How to pronounce manned (audio)
: carrying or performed by a person
manned spaceflight
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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