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

Both companies have discussed the challenges posed by Chinese open-weight models and potential restrictions on the companies with Trump administration officials, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Trump hosted Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday for closed-door talks that the administration described as "positive and productive".

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday added humanoid and quadruped robots to a list of products and companies that are banned from being imported into the United States on national security grounds.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Today the administration took another major step toward that goal.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

But he'd also vowed to make this the smoothest presidential transition in history, instructing every department in the executive branch to prepare briefing binders for the incoming administration.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

During past administrations, it has allowed the city to develop certain industries—like biotech, or legal marijuana—and has worked to develop large infrastructure projects, like the Manhattan High Line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

There is some frustration from devolved administrations around the UK about the delays in Whitehall.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

But Witkoff himself had his own liabilities, people who worked in the Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden, and Trump administrations told me.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 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

Institutions—government, religion, school administrations, the music industry, Microsoft—were roadblocks, put on earth to obstruct and torment him, invade his privacy and limit his freedom of movement on the Internet.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

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