administrator

noun

ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tor əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tər How to pronounce administrator (audio)
-ˌstrā-ˌtȯr
1
: a person legally vested with the right of administration of an estate
2
a
: one who administers especially business, school, or governmental affairs
b
: a person who manages a computer network or system
network administrators
3
: a priest appointed to administer a diocese or parish temporarily

Examples of administrator in a Sentence

Her eldest son will act as the administrator of the estate.
Recent Examples on the Web The city’s administrator and law director said the city was legally required to move that money to the general fund until that legislation was approved. Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 That is also supposed to be a part of local and state administrators’ jobs. Lz Granderson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 The firm gathered input from students, administrators, parents, teachers, staff and community members while conducting its search and found that top concerns included student and staff safety, declining enrollment and staff shortages, according to a report. The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 The investigation is under way as DOC's top administrator is set to leave his post. Molly Beck, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 As the district’s administrator, Gilzean had an annual salary of $400,000. Mike Schneider, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 In January, rioters attacked the St. John Bosco school, trying to break down its gates and reach food stocks donated by the UN’s World Food Programme, according to the administrator. Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The end of federal relief money leaves district administrators and school boards with a difficult budget-making season, Roza said. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 The candidates are administrators and university professors with extensive backgrounds. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'administrator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English administratour, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin administātor "person in charge, manager," from administrāre "to administer" + -tor, agent suffix

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of administrator was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near administrator

Cite this Entry

“Administrator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administrator. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

administrator

noun
ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tor əd-ˈmin-ə-ˌstrāt-ər How to pronounce administrator (audio)
: a person who administers especially business, school, or government affairs

Legal Definition

administrator

noun
ad·​min·​i·​stra·​tor əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tər How to pronounce administrator (audio)
1
: a person appointed by a probate court to manage the distribution of the assets in the estate of a person who has died without leaving a valid will or leaving a will that does not name an executor able or willing to perform see also administratrix, letters of administration at letter sense 2 compare executor, personal representative
administrator ad litem
: an administrator appointed to represent an estate that is a necessary party to a lawsuit
administrator cum testamento annexo
: administrator with the will annexed in this entry
administrator de bonis non \ -​dē-​ˈbō-​nis-​ˈnän, -​dā-​ˈbō-​nis-​ˈnōn \
: an administrator appointed to administer the remaining assets in the estate when the preceding administrator or executor can or will no longer perform
administrator pendente lite \ -​pen-​ˈden-​tē-​ˈlī-​tē, -​pen-​ˈden-​tā-​ˈlē-​tā \
: special administrator in this entry
administrator with the will annexed
: an administrator appointed to administer an estate where the will names no executor or where the named executor is incapable of performing or unwilling to perform

called also administrator cum testamento annexo

ancillary administrator
: a subordinate administrator appointed to administer the assets of an estate that are located in a different jurisdiction from the one where the deceased was domiciled and where the primary administration of the estate is taking place
foreign administrator
: an administrator appointed in another state
general administrator
: an administrator appointed to administer the entire estate of a deceased person in accordance with the laws of intestacy or in accordance with the will if there is one compare special administrator in this entry
independent administrator
: an administrator whose administration of the estate is entirely or mostly unsupervised by the probate court
public administrator
: a public officer who administers the estates of deceased people when there is no one else willing or entitled to perform
: an administrator appointed in some states for the sole purpose of being responsible for the assets in an estate pending settlement of a dispute or when there is doubt as to who should be appointed administrator
special administrator
: an administrator appointed to administer only a designated part of the deceased person's estate
: an administrator appointed for the sole purpose of being responsible for the assets in an estate usually in some emergency (as a will contest) compare general administrator in this entry
2
: a person that administers
especially, often capitalized : the head of a government agency

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