administer
Americanverb (used with object)
-
administers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
administered,
past participle, past
-
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
-
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)
-
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
-
has been administeringperfect progressive
Past
-
administeredsimple
-
had administeredperfect
-
was administeringprogressive
-
were administeringprogressive
-
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:
That’s how the doctors knew to administer the treatment before surgery.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
My earlier analysis pointed to the three bulwarks against attempted election subversion—the state and local governments that administer elections, the courts that protect rights, and the American people who are democracy’s ultimate safeguard.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
Drug premiums in Medicare Advantage are typically lower than for stand-alone Part D plans because insurers who administer the former can subsidize their drug plans with savings from, say, reducing hospitalizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The smaller shape, the woman, said, “You have to administer tests.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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
North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance, a public agency that provides and administers the benefits, says changes over the past few decades have helped it recover from a deficit and build a $1.2 billion surplus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
He grooms them, administers their daily doses of medicine by hand and recognizes their individual personalities.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
“You might be surprised who administers the penalties.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
The evidence was contained in leaked files, including thousands of documents about Abramovich's finances and the operations of a network of offshore companies, administered from Cyprus between 1995 and 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
It’s a groundbreaking new approach that makes use of the patient’s own DNA to create a custom treatment that’s administered alongside Keytruda, Merck’s cancer drug.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Colorado’s public plans, which are privately administered, now account for half of the state individual market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
They administered TIMP2 through injections to older mice, allowing the protein to circulate throughout the body.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Grandma took a seat on the shelf where they had administered the massage, and Kendra waited beside her.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Padilla stressed that the new Senate observers would have no role in administering elections or handling ballots.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Most of the time, little information is available to the public about the people administering the lethal injection, as the states do not usually share what training they have had.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
They work full-time on the board for five-year terms administering the Public Works Department while assisted by several bureau heads and the director of public works.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The defendants ran dubious nonprofits that contracted with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and nongovernment organizations responsible for administering billions of dollars in homeless funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
“Wasn’t she taken away from you and taken to the hospital at Pawhuska? Weren’t you administering insulin to her?”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
