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 There’s enough cash on hand for Rhaenyra to administer the Seven Kingdoms for a fortnight, and no one remaining from the old regime — not Alicent, not Orwyle — knows where Lannister hid the rest of the ingots. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026 Without bishops, De Piante said, the SSPX would eventually have no priests to celebrate Mass, hear confessions or administer the sacraments that members believe are central to their spiritual lives. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026 Mubadala Capital currently manages, advises, and administers more than $600 billion in assets and has offices in Abu Dhabi, New York, London, San Francisco, and Rio de Janeiro. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 7 July 2026 The procedural motion directs the county Chief Executive to contract with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to administer the tax. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 July 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
  • Authorities say electrical service in La Guaira has recovered to roughly 90%, while more than 5 million liters of water have been distributed across affected areas.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Cut the butter into cubes and distribute throughout the packets.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of distribute
Verb
  • Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • The measure applied to local, state and federal law enforcement officers, but Thursday’s injunction blocked Philadelphia from enforcing it against federal officers.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of enforce
Verb
  • The situation is pressing, but Coleman still manages to make a connection.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The platform has consistently managed volume over $1 billion daily since the soccer tournament began on June 11.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • The foundation dispenses $350,000 to $500,000 a year, according to the family's attorney, Stephanie Johnson O’Day.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • Prosecutors say Hammond, who was a pharmacist at Central Pharmacy in Lansing from 2020 to 2024, dispensed and billed a substantial number of female condoms that the pharmacy never received from a wholesaler.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 24 June 2026
Definition of dispense
Verb
  • Eligible for a maximum of two four-year terms, the president implements policies within the framework set out by the supreme leader and spearheads Iran’s diplomacy.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • In March 1995, Sotomayor granted an injunction sought by the NLRB to implement the terms of an expired CBA.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of implement
Verb
  • While older children can use sparklers, they should be supervised, Heckman said.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Between there, and running upstairs to supervise fittings of his monumentally sculptural work with his stylist Tallulah Harlech, the designer caught a rare moment to sit and talk.
    — Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 July 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • Attendees can learn about current conditions, share their experiences traveling along Snelling and Montreal avenues, provide input for improvements and ask questions.
    — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 8 July 2026
  • Their angled footbeds provide comfortable arch support while maintaining a slim, classic silhouette.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 8 July 2026
Definition of provide
Verb
  • The judge denied Fischer’s request to appoint and fund a special master to oversee the privilege screen but allowed defense attorneys to review the records themselves instead of prosecutors.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • The first three times were under Socialist Party Prime Minister Felipe González starting in 1986, but conservative leader José Maria Aznar’s government also oversaw two such measures in the 2000s.
    — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 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 9 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of administer for Spanish Speakers

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