Administer — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /əd-ˈmi-nə-stər/ ad·min·is·ter

Meaning & Definition of Administer

Administer (verb)

  1. to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of
  2. to provide or apply, dispense
  3. to give officially or as part of a ritual

Administer (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give out (something) to appropriate individuals

    "the principal administers discipline fairly when students break the rules"

    similar: allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, mete (out), parcel (out), portion, prorate
    related: admeasure, allot, allow, appropriate, assign, dish out, divide, divvy (up), dollop (out), lot, measure (out), part, proportion, ration, redistribute, set, share (out), split, bestow, disburse, furnish, issue, provide, share, supply, circulate, disperse, disseminate, scatter, spread, chip in, contribute, donate, pledge, reallocate, reapportion
    opposite: misallocate
    near: begrudge, decline, deny, deprive (of), disallow, refuse, reject, withhold, niggle (out), pinch, skimp, stint

  2. to carry out effectively

    "local officials should see that the fair housing laws are rigorously administered"

    similar: apply, enforce, execute, implement
    related: bring about, effect, effectuate, discharge, fulfill, render, cite, invoke, enact, legislate, honor, observe, uphold, prosecute, promulgate
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect

  3. to look after and make decisions about

    "the lieutenant governor administers the affairs of the state in the absence of the governor"

    similar: administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, handle, keep, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend, supervise, tend, watch over
    related: care (for), mind, watch, lead, pilot, steer, guard, protect, safeguard, micromanage, stage-manage, codirect, comanage

Related Entry: Administer (to) (verb)

Administer (to) is a different word from Administer. The synonyms below are for administer (to), not for administer.

  1. to attend to the needs and comforts of

    "volunteers administering to the terminally ill at a hospice"

    similar: care (for), minister (to), mother, nurse, do for (chiefly British), look after, look out for, look to, see to, take care of, wait on
    related: cure, heal, remedy, doctor, treat, aid, conserve, preserve, provide (for), support, baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil, cater (to), humor, indulge
    near: brush (aside or off), forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, slight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Administer

The most common words with a similar meaning to Administer:

allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, mete (out), parcel (out), portion, prorate, apply, enforce, execute, implement, administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, handle, keep, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend, supervise, tend, watch over

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Administer

Words with the opposite meaning of Administer:

misallocate

Related Words for Administer

admeasure, allot, allow, appropriate, assign, dish out, divide, divvy (up), dollop (out), lot, measure (out), part, proportion, ration, redistribute, set, share (out), split, bestow, disburse, furnish, issue, provide, share, supply, circulate, disperse, disseminate, scatter, spread

Near Antonyms of Administer

begrudge, decline, deny, deprive (of), disallow, refuse, reject, withhold, niggle (out), pinch, skimp, stint, disregard, ignore, neglect

Word Forms of Administer

Inflections: administered, administering

Derived words: administrable (adjective), administrant (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Administer

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" minister:2

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Administer

Words & Phrases Containing Administer

self-administer

Frequently Asked Questions about Administer

What does "Administer" mean?

"Administer" means to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of. As a verb, it is defined as: to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Administer"?

Other words for "Administer" include allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out and mete (out). The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Administer" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Administer"?

There are 100 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Administer". Common alternatives include allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, mete (out), parcel (out) and portion.

What is the opposite of "Administer"?

Antonyms of "Administer" include misallocate. Near antonyms include begrudge, decline, deny and deprive (of).

How do you use "Administer" in a sentence?

Examples of "Administer" in a sentence: "the principal administers discipline fairly when students break the rules"; "local officials should see that the fair housing laws are rigorously administered"; "the lieutenant governor administers the affairs of the state in the absence of the governor".

Is "Administer" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Administer" is a verb.

Is "Administer" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Administer" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Administer"?

"Administer" is pronounced /əd-ˈmi-nə-stər/ and divided into syllables as ad·min·is·ter.