administration

American  

[ad-min-uh-stray-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

Jordan, a USC alumna and adjunct professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, joined the administration in 2024 to oversee communications for the president’s office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Countries are meanwhile seeking deals with the Trump administration as top US trade official Jamieson Greer hosts his counterparts, with India pushing to get its trade pact over the finish line.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Items on the list of U.S. exports to China recommended for a lower tariff rate, according to documents released by the Trump administration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Now his administration has launched an A.I.-powered chatbot of its own: America.gov.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

During President Grant’s administration, Arthur served as Collector of Customs at the Port in New York, a political appointment arranged by Roscoe Conkling.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Interviews with 80 former White House staffers offer insight into one of the most misunderstood administrations in recent history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The more than 600-page legislation would have divided oversight largely between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, replacing a regulatory patchwork that has shifted between administrations.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Both the Obama and Biden administrations used the Clean Air Act to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

It is unclear why the CDC and other federal agencies across two administrations have failed to publicly respond to the increase in deaths despite having access to the same information ProPublica analyzed.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Keeping the administrations more independent outside advisors in line proved more of a struggle.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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