administer
Americanverb (used with object)
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administers,
present (3rd person singular)
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administered,
past participle, past
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administering
present participle
-
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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administers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
administered,
past participle, past
-
administering
present participle
-
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:
She said the Fed could still hold rates steady rather than administer that medicine, but it would have to explain its decision clearly to markets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
The fallout was largely documented on the cat haven’s Facebook page with posts of veterinary and haven staff working together to administer heart compressions on the large black cat lying on the medical table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Fight back and protect the people who administer elections.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Leonie Powling, 19, had been working in the nearby cafe and recalled watching people administer CPR to those pulled from the water.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
She recruited volunteers to administer the aptitude tests.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
On average, families complete the five-year program with $8,500 in savings, according to Compass Working Capital, one of the HUD partners that administers the program and also provides financial coaching to tenants who participate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Lawton's letter was sent from a company called Equiniti, which administers the pension scheme on behalf of the MoD.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Stacys and other families filed formal requests in September 2023 to the attorney general’s office, then led by Merrick Garland, which administers the fund.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 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
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 Falklands are located about 600 km east of Argentina's southernmost tip and administered by Britain.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
A prize that requires consensus among people who disagree about nearly everything is harder to pull toward any one agenda than a prize administered by allies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
EVs administered without the MAP scaffold failed to produce comparable blood vessel repair.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
The firm did not specify how people will be asked to apply, but the program will be administered by an independent third party unaffiliated with the company, the district attorney’s office said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
He is civiliter mortus; and his estate, if he has any, is administered like that of a dead man.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Minnesota are among a small group of states with a decentralized election system, in which individual cities and towns, rather than counties, are responsible for administering ballots.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
It is common practice for the state to consider aligning its tax code with the federal structure to make filing taxes easier and administering them more cheaply.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Bystanders - including Craig Bowe, who made three rescue attempts - have been praised for trying to help, including administering CPR to the Rahmans, who were from Ilford.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
If I lose both my father and brother in a short period, I expect to be responsible for administering the trust and managing the house for my niece.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
“You won’t have to do anything, besides administering the test.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
