Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello,
What is the meaning of the expressions "deal with" and "work with" in the following sentences?
1.A “people person” is someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people than things.
2.I prefer to work with people rather than computers.

These meanings seem pretty straightforward and easy to look up. Could you perhaps tell us what you think they mean, and why you ask?

Hello,
You said the definition of the words is straightforward, but when I looked them up in the dictionary, I couldn't find a definition that fits for the context I was using them in. I hope I don't seem to be stupid. If you could explain the meaning to me, i would greatly apprecate it. I think "deal with" means interact with, associate with, or be around, but the dictionary doesn't inculde those meanings for the expression deal with. I think work with means "use" in the epression "work with computers" and it means "interact with, associate with, or be around" when used in the expression "work with people", but the dictionary doesn't include those definitions for the expression.

Personally, 'deal with' is something that I've always avoided putting on my CVs, for example. I mean, there are other words, such as 'help', 'assist' etc that sound more positive than potentially negative/pejorative/"dismissive"; when people are "dealt with", it seems to me like there was a problem or something...then again, maybe I've just read too many stories like the one in Fighting Arts International magazine (where Aikido master Chiba was told by his master to go 'deal with' some arguing gangsters disturbing the atmos in some bar...cue sound of popping elbow joints as said gangsters get disarmed of their knives etc etc. Try the first embedded clip on the following webpage to get an inkling of what I'm on about! http://www.aikido-health.com/kazuo-chiba.html ).

Yes, I suppose that there is an element of "solving the problem" invoved with "deal with" which makes it perhaps hard to understand why you "deal" with people. In the workplace, everything is a problem I suppose. Associate is a reasonable synonym though.

As to "work with people" and "work with computers" I think that is pretty clear unless you must insist on finding the absolutely exact meaning you want in some dictionary!

You might like to try another dictionary. I'd recommend a Learners' Dictionary.

Here's 'deal with' from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary Online, and it seems to have the meaning you are asking about:
deal with sb phrasal verb
to talk to someone or meet someone, especially as part of your job
"She's used to dealing with difficult customers."

And the slightly different use of 'deal with' that makes us feel it's negative (from the same dictionary):
deal with sth phrasal verb
to take action in order to achieve something or in order to solve a problem
"How do you intend to deal with this problem?"
"General enquiries are dealt with by our head office."

(dictionary.cambridge.org)

You could also try the Longman one (ldoceonline.com) or the Oxford one (which has a crazy long web address that I always forget).


'Work with' on the other hand doesn't seem to be a phrasal verb, and as Woody says, seems pretty clear already.