administrator
Americannoun
-
administrators
plural
-
a person who manages or has a talent for managing.
-
Law. a person appointed by a court to take charge of the estate of a decedent, but not appointed in the decedent's will.
-
Computers. Also admin
-
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.
-
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.
-
a user account on a home computer accessible only by the user who manages the computer system.
-
a user who has access to this user account.
-
noun
-
a person who administers the affairs of an organization, official body, etc
-
property law a person authorized to manage an estate, esp when the owner has died intestate or without having appointed executors
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Executive Branch: The Presidency and Vice Presidency
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Parker Inheritance
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
On Monday, Derek Barrs, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, cited Platinum Plus Truck Driving School in Fresno, which certified 36 drivers who were later cited for English language proficiency violations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
The borrower was Cypress Park Financial MP, registered in Delaware by a senior managing director at TWG, who previously worked for a Walter family office administrator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
"I am putting myself forward to be the Conservative candidate for mayor of London, because our capital needs more than an administrator," he wrote in the Times.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In Iowa, Letsch is sometimes able to negotiate directly with the third-party administrator hired to recover funds from an estate: Sumo Group, a subcontractor of Health Management Systems.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The doctors who had initially concealed that Bill Smith had given a last statement incriminating Hale and who had arranged it so that one of them became the administrator of Rita Smith’s invaluable estate.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
In the meantime, Williams is paying a mortgage of £750, and hopes to receive a payout from administrators to help pay it off.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
A detailed explanation might instead require examining meetings between administrators, phone calls to state police, and other individual actions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
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
Universities operate as a closed economy: centrally administered, collectively resourced, carefully controlled by administrators who hope their plans aid retention efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Everywhere, school administrators pandered and panicked, rushing to show they were highly sensitive to parents’ fears, even if they were oblivious to the needs and problems of many of their students.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
