manor

[man-er]

noun

1. (in England) a landed estate or territorial unit, originally of the nature of a feudal lordship, consisting of a lord's demesne and of lands within which he has the right to exercise certain privileges, exact certain fees, etc.

2. any similar territorial unit in medieval Europe, as a feudal estate.

3. the mansion of a lord with the land belonging to it.

4. the main house or mansion on an estate, plantation, etc.

manor

/ məˈnɔːrɪəl, ˈmænə /

noun

1. (in medieval Europe) the manor house of a lord and the lands attached to it

2. (before 1776 in some North American colonies) a tract of land granted with rights of inheritance by royal charter

3. a manor house

4. a landed estate

5. slang,  a geographical area of operation, esp of a gang or local police force

Other Word Forms

• manorial adjective
• intermanorial adjective
• submanor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of manor¹

1250–1300; Middle English maner < Old French manoir, noun use of manoir to remain, dwell < Latin manēre to remain; mansion

Word History and Origins

Origin of manor¹

C13: from Old French manoir dwelling, from maneir to dwell, from Latin manēre to remain

Example Sentences

Home was Hovingham Hall, a grand manor house that had been in the family for centuries.

From BBC

A 14-year-old girl has been arrested after a fire engulfed an abandoned Grade I-listed manor house that had stood for hundreds of years in Liverpool.

From BBC

Firefighters are tackling a major blaze at an abandoned Grade I-listed manor house in Liverpool.

From BBC

The village and a manor house in the area have been under heavy security since Vance's arrival on Sunday evening.

From BBC

Strictly speaking, the 17th century manor house belongs to the nation, but cabinet ministers, particularly foreign secretaries, are allowed to use it for family getaways or meetings with foreign dignitaries.

From BBC

Related Words

• mansion 

When To Use

What’s the difference between manor and manner?

A manor is a mansion or the main house of an estate. The word manner means a way of doing something, as in Please exit the building in an orderly manner. The plural form manners refers to polite ways of behaving.Both words are always used as nouns, and they are pronounced exactly the same.Manner has a few different meanings, but they mostly all relate to how things are done or how someone behaves.The word manor once commonly referred to an estate (the tract of land itself), but it eventually came to refer to the large house on the estate. Still, a house that you’d call a manor is usually a big mansion surrounded by a lot of land.For example, the mansion where Bruce Wayne lives is called Wayne Manor. A good way to remember the spelling is to ask the question: Who lives in Wayne Manor—is it Batman or Bruce Wayne?As for how to remember the spelling of manner, just remember that it would be not nice to spell it without two n’s (just downright impolite, really).Here’s an example of manor and manner used correctly in a sentence.Example: The grounds of the manor were decorated in a stately manner, with beautiful gardens and hedges. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between manor and manner.