Dictionary

administer en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stɚ/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To apportion out, distribute.
   • 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:
   • [Let zephyrs] administer their tepid, genial airs. 1708, [John Philips], “Book I”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 3:
2. (transitive) To 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, […], →OCLC:
   • 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:
3. (intransitive) To minister (to).
   • administering to the sick
   • 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:
4. To settle, as the estate of one who dies without a will, or whose will fails of an executor.
5. 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]:
6. (transitive) To 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.
7. (transitive) To 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:

Forms

Deriveds

misadminister · administrable · readminister · overadminister · administress · self-administer · coadminister · administerer · administerial · maladminister

Relateds

administrative · administrator · administration · route of administration

Translations (85)

ota علاجلامق (to introduce medicine intravenously) · cs podat (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · pt aplicar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · pl zaaplikować (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · hu levezényel (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · bg администри́рам (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · sv administrera (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de reichen (to minister to the sick) · ca administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · hu intéz (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · cs spravovat (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de darreichen (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fi hallinnoida (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · pt ministrar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · ru управля́ть (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · hu igazgat (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · bg ръководя (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · pt administrar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · eo administri (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · gl administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · yi אַדמיניסטרירן (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ru администри́ровать (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · uk адмініструва́ти (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de intravenös spritzen (to introduce medicine intravenously) · hu kormányoz (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de verabreichen (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · pt administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · pl zadawać (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · cy gweinyddu (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fi hoitaa (to minister to the sick) · pl podać (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · cmn 管理 (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ca administrar (to minister to the sick) · mi minita (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de verwalten (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · fi palvella (to minister to the sick) · es perfundir (to introduce medicine intravenously) · pl zarządzać (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · hu adminisztrál (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · fr administrer (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · es administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · bg предписвам (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · pl podawać (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · ro administra (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fi hallita (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · hu bead (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · pl zadać (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fi johtaa (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · fi annostella (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · nl toedienen (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · rue справовати (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · oc administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ru назна́чить (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · es administrar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · hu lebonyolít (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · cy gweinyddu (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ja 管理する (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · hu vezet (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · th บริหาร (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ru руководи́ть (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · el διοικώ (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · de intravenös applizieren (to introduce medicine intravenously) · io administrar (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · it amministrare (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · cy goruchwylio (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · fi antaa (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · be адміністрава́ць (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · la administro (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ro administra (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · bg управлявам (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · fr administrer (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · oc far préner (to minister to the sick) · de administrieren (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · uk управля́ти (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · ca administrar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · ru прописа́ть (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · ru пропи́сывать (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fr administrer (to minister to the sick) · gl administrar (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · fr gérer (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · pl aplikować (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · oc har préner (to minister to the sick) · ru назнача́ть (to cause to take by openly offering or through deceit) · mnc ᡴᠠᡩᠠᠯᠠᠮᠪᡳ (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise) · pl administrować (to work in an administrative capacity; to supervise)