administer: Meaning and Definition of

ad•min•is•ter

Pronunciation: (ad-min'u-stur), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to manage (affairs, a government, etc.); have executive charge of: to administer the law.
  2. to bring into use or operation: to administer justice; to administer last rites.
  3. to make application of; give: to administer medicine.
  4. to supervise the formal taking of (an oath or the like).
  5. to manage or dispose of, as a decedent's estate by an executor or administrator or a trust estate by a trustee.
—v.i.
  1. to contribute assistance; bring aid or supplies (usually fol. by to): to administer to the poor.
  2. to perform the duties of an administrator: She administers quite effectively.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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