self-administer

verb

self-ad·​min·​is·​ter ˌself-əd-ˈmi-nə-stər 

self-administered; self-administering; self-administers

transitive + intransitive

: to administer (something, such as a drug) to oneself

can self-administer the drug with an inhaler

allowed to self-administer the test

Those regulations … also state that only a school nurse can apply medications, but exemptions exist that allow students in some cases to self-administer according to district guidelines.

—Jennifer Bogdan

Examples of self-administer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The medication also must be self-administered to ensure the decision is voluntary. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Despite medical community concerns, millions are already self-administering such peptides, relying on social media influencers over professional medical advice. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

And people who are eager to lose extra weight — before a wedding or a vacation, for example — may choose to self-administer a higher-than-recommended dose, said Arthur Caplan, a bioethics professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. — Maia Rosenfeld, NBC news, 29 May 2026

In April 2026, Saphnelo launched a pen version, which is also FDA-approved, and allows patients to self-administer their treatments. — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-administer

• administer
• minister
• sinister

Medical Definition

self-administer

transitive verb

self-ad·​min·​i·​ster -əd-ˈmi-nə-stər 

: to administer (as a drug) to oneself

self-administered an analgesic

self-administration

-ˌmin-ə-ˈstrā-shən 

noun