administer
Americanverb (used with object)
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to manage (affairs, a government, etc.); have executive charge of.
to administer the law.
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to bring into use or operation: to administer last rites.
to administer justice;
to administer last rites.
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to make application of; give.
to administer medicine.
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to supervise the formal taking of (an oath or the like).
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Law. to manage or dispose of, as a decedent's estate by an executor or administrator or a trust estate by a trustee.
verb (used without object)
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to contribute assistance; bring aid or supplies (usually followed byto ).
to administer to those in need of aid.
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to perform the duties of an administrator.
She administers quite effectively.
verb
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(also intr) to direct or control (the affairs of a business, government, etc)
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to put into execution; dispense
administer justice
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to give or apply (medicine, assistance, etc) as a remedy or relief
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to apply formally; perform
to administer extreme unction
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to supervise or impose the taking of (an oath, etc)
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to manage or distribute (an estate, property, etc)
Synonym Usage
See rule.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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administrantnoun
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nonadministrantadjective
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self-administeredadjective
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self-administeringadjective
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unadministeredadjective
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well-administeredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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administersimple
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administerssimple
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have administeredperfect
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has administeredperfect
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am administeringprogressive
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are administeringprogressive
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is administeringprogressive
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have been administeringperfect progressive
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has been administeringperfect progressive
Past
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administeredsimple
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had administeredperfect
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was administeringprogressive
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were administeringprogressive
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had been administeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of administer
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin administrāre “to assist, carry out, manage the affairs of” ( see ad-, minister); replacing Middle English amynistre (with a- 5 ), from Middle French aministrer
Explanation
When you administer something, you give it to others. This can apply to a dose of medicine, an order, a survey, or a punishment. Administer can also mean to run something — such as a school or an office. The word administer belongs to a family of words, all having to do with being in charge: administration, administrator, and administrative. Strangely, administer comes from the Latin word minister meaning "servant." So, if your boss or principal administers an instruction that you disagree with, just think of that person as your servant. Doing so will help you carry out your duties with a smile.
Vocabulary lists containing administer
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Marbury v. Madison (1803)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even if you are his legal next of kin, it does not obligate you to administer his estate or arrange the funeral.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Judges take an oath to administer justice “without respect to persons.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
In 2002, Congress created the Election Assistance Commission to administer the Help America Vote Act, which assists states in reforming their elections.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
He was told Canvas, the software used to administer the module, was down - something he found "a bit dodgy" because he uses the same platform at university "with no problems whatsoever".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“There is one, isn’t there? Some mathematical formula which tells the proper dose to administer according to height and weight, that sort of thing?”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
The third-party certifying body administers random testing throughout the growing process and tests each product that arrives at the company’s New Jersey warehouse before it is released to stores, according to the website.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
On Friday, more than 100,000 Muslims performed the weekly Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa, according to the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian body that administers the site.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
The drop represents nearly 47% of the state’s participants in the program better known as food stamps and includes about 180,000 children, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers the program.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
Done Together sourced funding from Adferiad, which administers the Welsh government's culture grants scheme for projects supporting diversity, equality and inclusion.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
His wife, Rosita, administers first aid to migrants.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
As the vet administered the euthanasia that ended Cosmo’s suffering, I cooed to him Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” until his paws didn’t flutter anymore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Dentists could apply the gel quickly using a process similar to the way fluoride treatments are administered today.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Barzar started to put a small amount of his paycheck into the account administered by T. Rowe Price, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
It is almost always fatal once symptoms appear in humans, but treatment administered before this point can be successful.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
A nurse administered anesthesia, and Buck drifted into sleep.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
As executor, you would be responsible for administering the estate from start to finish.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Step Up said it follows statutory requirements in administering funds and reports “any complaints or reports of fraud” to the state education department.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Much of the voting public probably knows little about the process of administering US elections,” it says, “which could allow false narratives to gain traction.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
During the appointment, Sawyer offered to inject up to a litre of filler, provided prescription-only medicines without a prescription being issued and suggested administering local anaesthetic without a prescriber present.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
I remember the thought I had, after Johanna told me about the Amity administering the memory serum to Dauntless patrols—that when you take a person’s memories, you change who they are.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
