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:
From that point forward, only a court-appointed executor or administrator has the authority to act for the estate.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The judge responded by placing a temporary administrator in charge of the estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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
Chait, a homegrown administrator who started as a kindergarten teacher, avoided a comparable vibe in the high school setting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Twenty-two years, eight months, and four days from that moment, a promising young Alpha-Minus administrator at Mwanza-Mwanza was to die of trypanosomiasis—the first case for over half a century.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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
At the California Institute of the Arts, administrators expressed concern about judging earnings four years after graduation given the nature of the field they are teaching.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mothers and fathers nationwide are alarmed by dwindling recess time and calling upon school administrators to restore it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Founded as the British capital shifted to Delhi, the club was originally the preserve of colonial administrators and military officers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Nigro had told us that whenever prison administrators wanted to know what was really going on in a prison, what the mood of the inmates was, they asked the gallery officers.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
