administer
verb
ad·min·is·ter
əd-ˈmi-nə-stər 
administered; administering
əd-ˈmi-nə-st(ə-)riŋ
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
1
: to perform the office of administrator
2
: to furnish a benefit : minister
administer to an ailing friend
3
: to manage affairs
Synonyms
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
The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank while its rival, Hamas, is still nominally in charge of Gaza, after driving Abbas' security forces out in a 2007 takeover.
—
Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Euthanasia is the act of a medical professional actually administering drugs in order to end a person's life.
—The Week, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
The city would also have to conduct its own local elections; the OC Registrar of Voters usually administers the elections.
—Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024
So why is there reluctance about offering genetic testing to cancer patients before administering 5-FU and capecitabine?
—Ellen Matloff, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for administer 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Euthanasia is the act of a medical professional actually administering drugs in order to end a person's life.
—The Week, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
The city would also have to conduct its own local elections; the OC Registrar of Voters usually administers the elections.
—Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024
So why is there reluctance about offering genetic testing to cancer patients before administering 5-FU and capecitabine?
—Ellen Matloff, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for administer
Dictionary Entries Near administer
Cite this Entry
“Administer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administer. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
administer
verb
ad·min·is·ter
əd-ˈmin-ə-stər
administered; administering
-st(ə-)riŋ
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
administered; administering
-st(ə-)riŋ
: 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
administered; administering
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
1
: to perform the office of an administrator or executor
2
: to manage or conduct affairs
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share