administer
C1Formal, Official, Administrative, Legal, Medical
Definition
Meaning
to manage or oversee the operation, application, or execution of something, often a system, organisation, or legal matter.
To give or apply (e.g., a drug, a test, an oath, justice, punishment); to direct or supervise the provision of (e.g., aid).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies authority, responsibility, and a systematic or official procedure. The direct object is often an abstract entity (system, fund, territory) or a service/action (test, oath, punishment). When meaning 'to give', it is used with things given formally or as part of a procedure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Spelling of related words differs ('administration'/'administrative' same in both).
Connotations
In both varieties, strongly connotes formal authority, bureaucracy, or official procedure.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English in legal and governmental contexts due to the structure of US governance, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVOO (administer someone something)SVO (administer something)SVOA (administer something effectively)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Administer the last rites”
- “Administer a bitter/sweet pill (literal and figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To manage company funds, pensions, or a department; e.g., 'A trustee will administer the pension scheme.'
Academic
To give a test or survey; to manage a research grant; e.g., 'The questionnaire was administered to 500 participants.'
Everyday
Rare in casual speech. Might be used for giving medicine; e.g., 'The nurse will administer the injection.'
Technical
Legal: to manage an estate of a deceased person. Medical: to give a treatment. IT: to manage a system or server.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The charity is administered from their London office.
- The nurse will administer the vaccine.
- It is the court's duty to administer justice.
American English
- The fund is administered by a board of trustees.
- The teacher administered the final exam.
- They sought to administer the territory fairly.
adverb
British English
- N/A (The adverb is 'administratively').
American English
- N/A (The adverb is 'administratively').
adjective
British English
- N/A (The adjective is 'administrative').
American English
- N/A (The adjective is 'administrative').
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor will administer the medicine.
- Who administers this school?
- The test was administered to all new students.
- A new company will administer the website.
- The court appointed a lawyer to administer the deceased's estate.
- The organization is difficult to administer due to its complex structure.
- The colonial power struggled to administer the vast territory effectively.
- The committee was tasked with administering the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a MINISTER (a senior official) who is given the task TO ADMINISTER (to manage officially). AD-MINISTER = to act as a minister towards something.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOVERNMENT IS ADMINISTRATION (managing any organisation is metaphorically like running a government). GIVING IS ADMINISTERING (formal giving is a controlled, procedural act).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'администрировать' (to do IT system administration), which is narrower. English 'administer' is broader.
- The Russian 'вводить' (to introduce/administer a drug) is only one specific sense.
- Avoid using 'administer' as a direct translation for 'управлять' in every context; 'manage' or 'run' is often more natural for general management.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He administrates the team.' (Use 'manages' or 'administers').
- Incorrect preposition: 'administer to the patient' (correct: 'administer the drug to the patient' or 'administer to the patient's needs' – but the latter uses a different, rarer sense).
- Confusing noun form: 'She is in administer.' (Correct: 'She is in administration.').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical context for the verb 'administer'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Administer' implies a more formal, official, or procedural context, often within established rules or systems (law, government, medicine). 'Manage' is broader and can be used in both formal and informal contexts for general control and organisation.
Rarely. It is almost always a transitive verb requiring a direct object (administer something). An intransitive, archaic use exists (e.g., 'to administer to the poor'), but 'minister to' is now more common for that meaning.
It is listed in some dictionaries as a back-formation from 'administration', but it is considered non-standard or unnecessary by many style guides. 'Administer' is the preferred and universally accepted verb form.
The primary noun is 'administration'. The person who administers is an 'administrator'.