administration

American  

[ad-min-uh-strey-shuhn] / ædˌmɪn əˈstreɪ ʃən /

noun

• administrations
  plural

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.

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administration British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• administrations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of administration

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

Explanation

Use the word administration to describe the group of people running an organization: “University administration declared Wednesday a snow day and sent everyone home early.” You’ve probably heard the noun administration used to describe a political group, such as the Bush administration or the Obama administration. It can also be used to refer to the daily activities involved in running a group or a program: “Carla handles the administration of the summer camp.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

administration administrations

It is a curious diagnosis from an administration whose senior officials have lately been swapping notes on a regimen nicknamed the “sauerkraut diet.”

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

The head of Kyiv's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, said the "enemy is once again massively attacking the Kyiv region".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Kyiv's military administration said the barrage damaged residential buildings and several warehouses.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

On Wednesday, Trump will head to Las Vegas to deliver a speech at a casino focused on the economic achievements of his administration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Is there anything some of us can do with the administration? Pressure we can apply there?”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

However, administrations are built not just by presidents, Cabinet secretaries, and the enormous federal workforce.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

It said it was "mathematically possible" that Stormont could get between £1bn and £3.5bn extra per year if it was funded like the other devolved administrations.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

And Bryce Harlow, a veteran staffer in Republican administrations, recruited Mr. Alexander from youthful obscurity and taught him the machinery of politics and government in Richard Nixon’s White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

For five decades, presidential administrations, businesses and states have fought over what wetlands and waterways should be protected from pollution by this landmark environmental legislation.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

The central question is mobility, said Bruce R. Bartlett, an advocate of lower taxes who served in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

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