Meanings
verbadminister (third-person singular simple present administers, present participle administering, simple past and past participle administered)
present singular third person administers · participle present administering · participle past administered · past administered · alternative obsolete administre
- transitiveTo apportion out, distribute.
[Let zephyrs] administer their tepid, genial airs.
1708, [John Philips], “Book I”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 31 more example
Justice was administered between man and man with an exactness and purity not before known.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC - transitiveTo manage or supervise the conduct, performance or execution of; to govern or regulate the parameters for the conduct, performance or execution of; to work in an administrative capacity.
For forms of government let fools contest: / Whate'er is best administered is best.
1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC1 more example
Located in the northwestern side of the Black Sea, Snake Island, or called ostriv Zmiyinyy in Ukrainian and Insula Serpilor in Romanian, is currently administered by Ukraine but claimed by Romania.
2006, Rongxing Guo, Territorial Disputes and Resource Management: A Global Handbook, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 224 - intransitiveTo minister (to).
administering to the sick
1 more example
A fountain […] administers to the pleasure as well as the plenty of the place.
1712 September 16 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “FRIDAY, September 6, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 477; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC - To give, as an oath.
Swear […] to keep the oath that we administer.
1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii] - transitivemedicineTo give (a drug, to a patient), be it orally or by any other means.
We administered the medicine to our dog by mixing it in his food.
- transitivemedicineTo cause (a patient, human or animal) to ingest (a drug), either by openly offering or through deceit.
A noxious drug had been administered to him.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XV, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbwork in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of
Similar
verbadminister or bestow, as in small portions
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinadministrare“to manage, execute”
- Old Frenchaminister
- Middle Englishadministren
- Englishadminister
From Middle English administren, from Old French aminister, from Latin administrare (“to manage, execute”), from ad (“to”) + ministrare (“to attend, serve”), from minister (“servant”); see minister.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian ръководя, управлявам
- ръководя (răkovodja)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- управлявам (upravljavam)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- администри́рам (administríram)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- предписвам (predpisvam)to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Catalan administrar, administrar
- administrarto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrarto minister to the sick
- administrarto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Chinese Mandarin 管理
- 管理 (guǎnlǐ)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Czech spravovat, podat
- spravovatto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- podatto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Dutch toedienen
- toedienento cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Esperanto administri
- administrito work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Finnish hallita, johtaa
- hallitato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- johtaato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- hallinnoidato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- palvellato minister to the sick
- hoitaato minister to the sick
- annostellato cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- antaato cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
French administrer, gérer
- administrerto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- gérerto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrerto minister to the sick
- administrerto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
German verwalten, administrieren
- verwaltento work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrierento work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- reichento minister to the sick
- darreichento cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- verabreichento cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- intravenös applizierento introduce medicine intravenously
- intravenös spritzento introduce medicine intravenously
Greek διοικώ
- διοικώ (dioikó)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Hungarian adminisztrál, igazgat
- adminisztrálto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- igazgatto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- vezetto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- kormányozto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- intézto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- lebonyolítto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- levezényelto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- beadto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Italian amministrare
- amministrareto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Japanese 管理する
- 管理する (kanri suru)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Latin administro
- administroto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Māori minita
- minitato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Polish zarządzać, administrować
- zarządzaćto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrowaćto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- podaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- podawaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- zadaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- zadawaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- zaaplikowaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- aplikowaćto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Portuguese administrar, ministrar
- administrarto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- ministrarto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- administrarto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- aplicarto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Romanian administra, administra
- administrato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrato cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Russian управля́ть, руководи́ть
- управля́ть (upravljátʹ)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- руководи́ть (rukovodítʹ)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- администри́ровать (administrírovatʹ)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- пропи́сывать (propísyvatʹ)to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- прописа́ть (propisátʹ)to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- назнача́ть (naznačátʹ)to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- назна́чить (naznáčitʹ)to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Spanish administrar, administrar
- administrarto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- administrarto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
- perfundirto introduce medicine intravenously
Swedish administrera
- administrerato work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Thai บริหาร
- บริหาร (bɔɔ-rí-hǎan)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Ukrainian адмініструва́ти, управля́ти
- адмініструва́ти (administruváty)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- управля́ти (upravljáty)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Welsh goruchwylio, gweinyddu
- goruchwylioto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- gweinydduto work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
- gweinydduto cause to take by openly offering or through deceit
Yiddish אַדמיניסטרירן
- אַדמיניסטרירן (administrirn)to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise
Cite this entry
APA
administer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/administer
MLA
“administer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/administer. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “administer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/administer.
Source: administer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.