administration

[ad-min-uh-strey-shuhn]

noun

1. the management of any office, business, or organization; direction.

2. the function of a political state in exercising its governmental duties.

3. the duty or duties of an administrator in exercising the executive functions of the position.

4. the management by an administrator of such duties.

5. a body of administrators, especially in government.

6. Often Administration the executive branch of the U.S. government during a particular president's term of office: The current administration has threatened to veto the new bill.

   The Reagan administration followed President Carter's.

   The current administration has threatened to veto the new bill.

7. the period of service of a governmental administrator or body of governmental administrators.

8. any group entrusted with executive or administrative powers.

   the administration of a college.

9. Law.,  management of a decedent's estate by an executor or administrator or of a trust estate by a trustee.

10. an act of dispensing, especially formally.

    administration of the sacraments.

11. supervision of the taking of an oath or the like.

12. application, as of a salve or medicine.

administration

/ ədˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən /

noun

1. management of the affairs of an organization, such as a business or institution

2. the duties of an administrator

3. the body of people who administer an organization

4. the conduct of the affairs of government

5. term of office: often used of presidents, governments, etc

6. the executive branch of government along with the public service; the government as a whole

7. (often capital) the political executive, esp of the US; the government

8. a government board, agency, authority, etc

9. property law

   1. the conduct or disposal of the estate of a deceased person

   2. the management by a trustee of an estate subject to a trust

10. 1. the administering of something, such as a sacrament, oath, or medical treatment

    2. the thing that is administered

Other Word Forms

• administrational adjective
• antiadministration noun
• misadministration noun
• preadministration noun
• proadministration adjective
• self-administration noun
• subadministration noun
• superadministration noun
• administratively adverb
• administrative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of administration¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English administracio(u)n, from Latin administrātiōn- (stem of administrātiō ) “service”; administrate, -ion

Example Sentences

The administration’s approach to the rise in beef prices has been chaotic and incoherent.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The rule of law cannot be carried out if it depends on cronyism,” said Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer who served in the administrations of both parties.

Read more on Salon

Administration officials insist that their actions to date are legal, citing as precedent earlier agreements between federal agencies, including one example from the Biden administration.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A US intelligence report made public in 2021 - under President Joe Biden's administration - determined that the crown prince had approved of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi in Istanbul.

Read more on BBC

The insensible widow was carried off to the nearest sofa and made comfortable there, but even after the administration of smelling salts and several stimulating spoonfuls of schnapps, she could not be fully roused.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• board 
• bureau 
• cabinet 
• committee 
• department 
• executive 
• legislature 
• management 
• ministry 
• presidency