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:
By 2000, Congress had eliminated both, citing concerns that the restrictions were complex to administer and could stifle savings or penalize successful investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Even if you are his legal next of kin, it does not obligate you to administer his estate or arrange the funeral.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 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
The proposition would allow the California Housing Finance Agency to issue up to $25 billion in revenue bonds to administer the program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
It had been willed to an heir who was too young to administer it.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
The College Board, which administers the SAT, said about 6.7% of students taking the exam got extra time last year, compared with 2% a decade ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 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
But the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the agency that administers immigration courts, can label a case abandoned if the applicant fails to show up for a hearing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
The organization that administers the toll, the MTA, sued Duffy's department in February 2025, saying the push to kill congestion pricing was unlawful.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
I watch as he puts the thin wafer between her dry lips and administers the cup, murmuring in Latin.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The Netherlands and Belgium legalised assisted dying in 2002 for people with unbearable suffering from incurable illness, allowing it to be administered by a physician.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Just 12 years later, the Norsemen administered another hammer blow to English soccer’s fragile psyche, overcoming the Three Lions 2-0 in a 1993 qualifying game that contributed to England missing the 1994 World Cup entirely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
And despite the rules stating that a challenge from behind with studs-on-calf contact and a level of force should be a red card — no card was administered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 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
Love pats are soft punches of encouragement that are administered on the knee, shoulder, and arm.
From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
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
In France, non-medical practitioners are prohibited from administering injectable cosmetic treatments.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
The secretary of state plays a central role in administering statewide elections, providing voters with information about ballot measures and statewide candidates as well as overseeing campaign financing and lobbying activity.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Cantwell urged Kennedy to require contractors administering WISeR to respond to standard claims within 72 hours and urgent claims within 24 hours.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026
He speedily learned that Perrault and François were fair men, calm and impartial in administering justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
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.
