Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

administrator

American  
[ad-min-uh-strey-ter] / ædˈmɪn əˌstreɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person who manages or has a talent for managing.

  2. Law. a person appointed by a court to take charge of the estate of a decedent, but not appointed in the decedent's will.

  3. Computers. Also admin

    1. a person who manages and supports a computer system or network, as in a business or other organization.

      the company’s system administrator;

      a database administrator.

    2. a person who determines the site policies, appoints moderators, and manages the technical operation of an internet message board or other interactive website.

      a forum administrator.

    3. a user account on a home computer accessible only by the user who manages the computer system.

    4. a user who has access to this user account.

administrator British  
/ ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtə /

noun

  1. a person who administers the affairs of an organization, official body, etc

  2. property law a person authorized to manage an estate, esp when the owner has died intestate or without having appointed executors

  3. a person who manages a computer system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • administratorship noun
  • administratrix noun
  • preadministrator noun
  • subadministrator noun

Etymology

Origin of administrator

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French administratour, from Latin administrātor, equivalent to administrā(re) “to assist, serve” ( administer ) + -tor -tor

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.

Student-made memes depict the administrator behind the proposal as Gandalf from “Lord of the Rings” saying “You shall not pass!” or as Dolores Umbridge, the tyrannical Hogwarts headmistress from “Harry Potter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

“I think we can all agree, particularly today, that landing on the moon is extremely hard,” Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said at a press conference after Athena landed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The space agency's administrator Jared Isaacman also recently outlined revamped plans to build a Moon base.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

She is a part-time HR administrator and Paul is a manager at Network Rail.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

The administrator didn't blink as she stared right at me.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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.