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ad·min·is·ter (ăd-mĭnĭ-stər)
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v. ad·min·is·tered, ad·min·is·ter·ing, ad·min·is·ters
v.tr.
1. To have charge of; manage.
2.
a. To give or apply in a formal way: administer the last rites.
b. To apply as a remedy: administer a sedative.
c. To direct the taking of (an oath).
3. To mete out; dispense: administer justice.
4. To manage (a trust or estate) under a will or official appointment.
5. To impose, offer, or tender (an oath, for example).
v.intr.
1. To manage as an administrator.
2. To minister: administering to their every whim.
[Middle English administren, from Old French administrer, from Latin administrāre : ad, ad- + ministrāre, to manage (from minister, ministr-, servant; see MINISTER).]
ad·minis·tra·ble (-ĭ-strə-bəl) adj.
ad·minis·trant adj. & n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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