Definition of 'administer'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense administers, present participle administering, past tense, past participle administered
1. transitive verb
If someone administers something such as a country, the law, or a test, they take responsibility for organizing
and supervising it.
2. transitive verb
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
administer in American English
verb transitive
1.
to manage or direct (the affairs of a government, institution, etc.)
2.
to give out or dispense, as punishment or justice
3.
to give or apply (medicine, etc.)
4.
to direct the taking of (an oath, pledge, test, etc.)
verb intransitive
6.
to act as manager or administrator
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈgovern
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME aministren < OFr aministrer < L administrare < ad-, to + ministrare, to serve
Word Frequency
administer in American English
(ædˈmɪnəstər)
transitive verb
4.
to supervise the formal taking of (an oath or the like)
intransitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. conduct, control, execute; direct, superintend, supervise, oversee. See rule. 2. distribute, supply, furnish.Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
administrant (ædˈmɪnəstrənt) noun
Word Frequency
administer in British English
verb (mainly tr)
4.
to apply formally; perform
to administer extreme unction
6.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: amynistre, via Old French from Latin administrare, from ad- to + ministrāre to ministerExamples of 'administer' in a sentence
administer
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
administer a drug
administer justice
administered orally
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administer
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In other languages
administer
British English: administer
VERB /ədˈmɪnɪstə/
If someone administers something such as a country, the law, or a test, they take responsibility for organizing and supervising it.
The plan calls for the U.N. to administer the country until elections can be held.
- American English: administer /ædˈmɪnɪstər/
- Brazilian Portuguese: administrar
- Chinese: 监管 国家、法律、考试等
- European Spanish: administrar
- French: administrer
- German: verwalten
- Italian: amministrare
- Japanese: 治める
- Korean: 통치하다
- European Portuguese: administrar
- Spanish: administrar
- Thai: บริหาร
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administer
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administer
Source
Definition of administer from the Collins English Dictionary
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