administrator
Americannoun
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administrators
plural
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a person who manages or has a talent for managing.
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Law. a person appointed by a court to take charge of the estate of a decedent, but not appointed in the decedent's will.
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Computers. Also admin
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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.
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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.
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a user account on a home computer accessible only by the user who manages the computer system.
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a user who has access to this user account.
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noun
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a person who administers the affairs of an organization, official body, etc
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property law a person authorized to manage an estate, esp when the owner has died intestate or without having appointed executors
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a person who manages a computer system
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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” ( see administer) + -tor -tor
Explanation
The boss, the head honcho, the person in charge: An administrator is the person responsible for managing things and running the show. Administrators are often found directing government agencies, organizing institutions, or leading school departments. They're the decision makers and the planners, the people who put in place or administer the rules and guidelines. In other words, the administrator's office is probably the last place you want to end up if you're in trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing administrator
Like A Boss: Words for the Person in Charge
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The Executive Branch: The Presidency and Vice Presidency
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The Parker Inheritance
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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:
"She was a gifted teacher, an experienced administrator and Director of Music, but above all she was someone who gave so generously of herself to others," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Only a court-appointed executor or administrator generally has the authority to act on behalf of the probate estate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
However, within hours Cambridge's top administrator, Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice, confirmed his death with a brief statement that said the prestigious British institution was "desperately saddened" by the "tragic news".
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
After losing, he joined the Trump administration as the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
If he thought he could get away with an excuse like that, he had picked the wrong administrator.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
Given the sport's prominence in Australia, how administrators deal with high-profile situations is heavily scrutinised, with sporting codes carrying influential voices.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Granada's famous Alhambra palace - a Unesco World Heritage Site of medieval Islamic architecture - "will remain closed this afternoon", the site administrators said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The people in question are the participants and administrators of the Adult Recovery Court in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But after seven months with him on the job, you won’t find anyone at USC — players, coaches or administrators alike — with an ounce of distress over Patterson’s stamina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Schools set up across Egypt trained the leaders and administrators of the future.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
