administer

verb

ad·​min·​is·​ter əd-ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce administer (audio)
administered; administering əd-ˈmi-nə-st(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce administer (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of
administer a trust fund
2
a
: to provide or apply : dispense
administer justice
administer punishment
b
: to give officially or as part of a ritual
administer a test
administer the last rites
c
: to give remedially
administer a dose of medicine

intransitive verb

1
: to perform the office of administrator
2
: to furnish a benefit : minister
administer to an ailing friend
3
: to manage affairs
administrable adjective
administrant noun

Examples of administer in a Sentence

As a cost-saving measure, voters have elected to have the two towns administered jointly. The UN personnel are there to help administer the territory. She's been hired to administer the fund. The assistant will administer the test. a priest to administer the sacraments
Recent Examples on the Web But crucially, the regions are administered differently: the Arctic does not have a treaty system, while the Antarctic does. Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024 Typically, the shorter and wider the tree (such as mesquites, oaks and pines), the more the water needs to be administered around the canopy, as the roots near the trunk do not take up as much water. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 Should the blood test be approved by the FDA, it would be administered every three years, starting at age 45, according to NBC News. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024 That money helped local governments by funding various tools to help administer elections during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including buying PPE for poll workers and installing ballot boxes that allowed mail-in voters to drop off their ballots. Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 The standoff has become so extreme that most music owned, distributed and/or administered by UMG has been removed from the platform in the weeks since the agreement expired at the end of January. Jem Aswad, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 In an afternoon update, police said crews had been trying to administer a sedative to the distressed animal, but were unable to reach it due to dangerous water conditions. Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 It’s administered by Jordan, but access is controlled by Israeli security. Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 In addition to pre-treatment screening and cardiac monitoring, providers have found that administering magnesium before and during ibogaine treatments effectively addressed the risks. Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'administer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English administren, aministren, borrowed from Anglo-French administrer, aministrer, borrowed from Latin administrāre "to assist, operate, perform, manage the affairs of," from ad- ad- + ministrāre "to wait on, serve, furnish" — more at minister entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of administer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near administer

Cite this Entry

“Administer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administer. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

administer

verb
ad·​min·​is·​ter əd-ˈmin-ə-stər How to pronounce administer (audio)
administered; administering -st(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce administer (audio)
1
: to direct the affairs of : manage
administer a government
2
: to give out as deserved
administer justice
3
: to give formally or ceremonially
administer the sacraments
4
: to give as treatment
administer a drug

Medical Definition

administer

transitive verb
ad·​min·​is·​ter əd-ˈmin-ə-stər How to pronounce administer (audio)
administered; administering -st(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce administer (audio)
: to give (as medicine) remedially
the antibiotic may be administered orally or by injection

Legal Definition

administer

verb
ad·​min·​is·​ter əd-ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce administer (audio)
administered; administering

transitive verb

1
: to manage the affairs of (as a government or agency)
2
a
: to direct or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of
administer a trust fund
b
: to settle (an estate) under a court appointment as administrator or executor
3
a
: to give ritually
administer an oath
b
: to give (as a narcotic) for the purpose of ingesting

intransitive verb

1
: to perform the office of an administrator or executor
2
: to manage or conduct affairs
administrable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on administer

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