administer

verb

əd-ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce administer (audio)
Definition of administernext
1
as in to distribute
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals the principal administers discipline fairly when students break the rules

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to enforce
to carry out effectively local officials should see that the fair housing laws are rigorously administered

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about the lieutenant governor administers the affairs of the state in the absence of the governor

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of administer The drug, administered once every four weeks, helped reduce flare-ups in a broad range of people with the condition. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026 Scholarships are administered through the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, according to city officials. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 The Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, which administers both tests to American students, releases the PISA results every three years. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026 Bridgespan’s report finds that families in middle-income countries are more likely to administer their own programs than those in higher-income countries. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for administer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for administer
  1. distribute
  2. enforce
  3. manage
  4. dispense
  5. implement
  6. supervise
  7. provide
  8. oversee
Verb
  • Artists using the library to record, produce and distribute songs is not unheard of.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this year, an open letter from agency leadership warned against using federal funds to buy harm reduction supplies like sterile syringes and pipes, or to distribute test strips for common drug supply contaminants.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of distribute
Verb
  • Simply put, the SEC is furious that LSU has challenged the conference’s attempts to enforce its eligibility rules for athletes returning from professional sports.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Kalshi brought lawsuits against two states, Nevada and New Jersey, for threatening to enforce their own gambling laws against the company.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of enforce
Verb
  • No side allowed their opponents more shots across the first two Premier League rounds of the season (44) than Newcastle, and Bournemouth managed another 17 on Saturday, 13 of them during the first half.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Rockies, who managed just a walk through the first four innings, finished with 11 hits.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • Staff are tuned-in and attentive, knowledgeable and efficient, without dispensing any of the sirs and ma’ams and stilted affections of fancier places.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Epstein was involved in figuring out ways to dispense a significant portion of that money.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispense
Verb
  • Sunderland were, according to Transfermarkt, the division’s lowest spenders at £66million, but that lower turnover helped preserve the tactical identity implemented by head coach Regis Le Bris last season.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • For instance, in 2012, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services founded what is now called the LGBTQIA+ Office, which helps implement LGBTQ+ policies and support LGBTQ+ youth.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of implement
Verb
  • The following year, he was sentenced to 188 months, nearly 16 years, in prison, with five years supervised release.
    — Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In her current role, Second Assistant District Attorney, Sprague supervises all homicides that occur in Plymouth County as well as all firearm and narcotics cases, according to her profile.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • This week provides a major test for Houser and the offense with defending ACC champ Duke and defensive guru Manny Diaz coming to Champaign.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That program, run by the drug’s maker, Revolution Medicines, had been set up to provide access to the drug before it had been approved by regulators.
    — Angus Chen, STAT, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of provide
Verb
  • The actors first appeared together in 2001 movie Ocean’s 11, in which Clooney’s Danny oversees a group of thieves during an ambitious heist.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Fischer brings experience overseeing finance at a large public company accustomed to making long-term infrastructure investments.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of oversee

Phrases Containing administer

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admeasuring
administer
administered
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Cite this Entry

“Administer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/administer. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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