administer
Americanverb (used with object)
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to manage (affairs, a government, etc.); have executive charge of.
to administer the law.
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to bring into use or operation: to administer last rites.
to administer justice;
to administer last rites.
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to make application of; give.
to administer medicine.
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to supervise the formal taking of (an oath or the like).
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Law. to manage or dispose of, as a decedent's estate by an executor or administrator or a trust estate by a trustee.
verb (used without object)
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to contribute assistance; bring aid or supplies (usually followed byto ).
to administer to those in need of aid.
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to perform the duties of an administrator.
She administers quite effectively.
verb
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(also intr) to direct or control (the affairs of a business, government, etc)
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to put into execution; dispense
administer justice
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to give or apply (medicine, assistance, etc) as a remedy or relief
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to apply formally; perform
to administer extreme unction
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to supervise or impose the taking of (an oath, etc)
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to manage or distribute (an estate, property, etc)
Synonym Usage
See rule.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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administrantnoun
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nonadministrantadjective
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self-administeredadjective
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self-administeringadjective
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unadministeredadjective
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well-administeredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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administersimple
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administerssimple
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have administeredperfect
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has administeredperfect
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am administeringprogressive
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are administeringprogressive
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is administeringprogressive
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have been administeringperfect progressive
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has been administeringperfect progressive
Past
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administeredsimple
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had administeredperfect
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was administeringprogressive
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were administeringprogressive
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had been administeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of administer
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin administrāre “to assist, carry out, manage the affairs of” ( see ad-, minister); replacing Middle English amynistre (with a- 5 ), from Middle French aministrer
Explanation
When you administer something, you give it to others. This can apply to a dose of medicine, an order, a survey, or a punishment. Administer can also mean to run something — such as a school or an office. The word administer belongs to a family of words, all having to do with being in charge: administration, administrator, and administrative. Strangely, administer comes from the Latin word minister meaning "servant." So, if your boss or principal administers an instruction that you disagree with, just think of that person as your servant. Doing so will help you carry out your duties with a smile.
Vocabulary lists containing administer
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Marbury v. Madison (1803)
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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:
After making sure her funeral arrangements are carried out, can I decline or resign from serving as executor, or would I still be legally obligated to administer the estate?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
In California, two FDA-approved antivenom products, CroFab and Anavip, are supplied to hospitals who then can administer to patients in need.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Judges take an oath to administer justice “without respect to persons.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
In 2002, Congress created the Election Assistance Commission to administer the Help America Vote Act, which assists states in reforming their elections.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
I was to hear the confessions of the silent people of the valley, and I was to administer the holy Sacrament to them.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
The Essequibo region comprises more than two thirds of Guyana, which currently administers it.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
Brett Bezio, a spokesman for Arizona’s Department of Economic Security, which administers the program there, said work-requirement changes were the primary driver of the drop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
The drop represents nearly 47% of the state’s participants in the program better known as food stamps and includes about 180,000 children, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers the program.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
Emergency services are contacted in fewer than 2% of calls, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit organization that administers 988, and most of these dispatches are made with the caller’s consent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
“You might be surprised who administers the penalties.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Another was the discovery that Thorazine, the first antipsychotic medication administered to schizophrenic patients, had been shown to block dopamine activity—and, in so doing, melted away delusions and hallucinations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The researchers are investigating ways to make BRP last longer so that, if it eventually works in people, it could be administered on a more practical schedule.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some passengers were frantically clinging to the hull of the partially submerged vessel, he said, as rescuers administered CPR to a man on a San Francisco police boat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The exact number of cases may never even be known, because family disputes are administered via county-level probate courts and there’s no national tracking of these cases.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
I edged closer, trying to draw her attention, but she was wholly absorbed in listening to her mother, who was explaining how cramp bark and motherwort should be administered to treat post-birth contractions.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
I want to honor her wishes regarding her burial, which she has already prepaid, but I’m concerned about the responsibilities involved with administering the estate.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Step Up said it follows statutory requirements in administering funds and reports “any complaints or reports of fraud” to the state education department.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Much of the voting public probably knows little about the process of administering US elections,” it says, “which could allow false narratives to gain traction.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Araghchi on Saturday arrived in Oman, which sits on the other side of Hormuz, for talks on administering the strait.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
I remember the thought I had, after Johanna told me about the Amity administering the memory serum to Dauntless patrols—that when you take a person’s memories, you change who they are.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
