administrator
Americannoun
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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:
“We have to decide with the government on which ports are tendered first,” said canal administrator Ricaurte Vásquez.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
From that point forward, only a court-appointed executor or administrator has the authority to act for the estate.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
There were 25,754 employers with cash balance plans in 2023, the most recent data available, up from 1,477 in 2001, according to FuturePlan by Ascensus, a plan administrator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
A court decided that 50% should go to Boseman's widow, who was also appointed the estate's administrator, with 25% to each of his parents.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Now retired, he worked both as an administrator and a counselor for at-risk boys.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is helping represent Prabhakar, argues that public colleges may establish curriculum requirements but cannot punish professors merely because administrators dislike ideas expressed in relevant course material.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
I am not now privy to the thinking of Yale administrators and trustees.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
The EFTC’s supporters are correct that schools’ variable expenses — which is primarily the cost of educators and administrators — can be adjusted downward.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Andrew Friedman, a lawyer who represented the two former administrators in their lawsuit, called the payout to Morales a “a real shame.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Small talk before and after shifts is encouraged by the D-C administrators; mini-opportunities to connect with those in possession of tomorrows.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
