Standard Lemma guide

administration

name · noun · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ədˌmɪn.ɪˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • Canada, General-American: /ədˌmɪn.əˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ədˌmɪn.əˈstɹæɪ.ʃən/
  • New-Zealand: /ədˌmən.əˈstɹæɪ.ʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: AE0 D M IH2 N IH0 S T R EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

Alternative letter-case form of administration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, alt-of, nonstandard, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are entrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, usually

Topics: government, politics

Examples

  • Successive US administrations have had similar Middle East policies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The country's government under the rule of a particular leader.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: government, politics

Examples

  • The Obama administration
  • The Duterte administration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A body that administers; a body of administrators.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • the administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament
  • oral administration of insulin

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Management.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: business

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An arrangement whereby an insolvent company can continue trading under supervision.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, uncountable, usually

Topics: law

Examples

  • The company went into voluntary administration last week.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

the act of meting out justice according to the law

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: judicature

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: justice

10

noun

Meaning 10

the act of administering medication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: giving medication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medication

Narrower terms: drip feed, sedation, drugging

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of governing; exercising authority

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • regulations for the governing of state prisons
  • he had considerable experience of government

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: government, governing, governance, government activity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: social control

Narrower terms: misgovernment, misrule, legislation, legislating, lawmaking, trust busting

12

noun

Meaning 12

a method of tending to or managing the affairs of a some group of people (especially the group's business affairs)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disposal

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: management, direction

Narrower terms: conducting, line management, organization, organisation, running, polity

13

noun

Meaning 13

the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he claims that the present administration is corrupt
  • the governance of an association is responsible to its members
  • he quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: governance, governing body, establishment, brass, organization, organisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: body

Narrower terms: Curia, top brass, executive, judiciary, bench, county council, government officials, officialdom, management

14

noun

Meaning 14

the tenure of a president

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • things were quiet during the Eisenhower administration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: presidency, presidential term

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tenure, term of office, incumbency

History

Etymology

From Middle English administracioun, from Old French administration, from Latin administratio, from administrare; see administer; compare French administration. Equivalent to administrate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

217 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: qeveri Government — the act of administering
  • Albanian: administratë — the act of administering
  • Arabic: إِدَارَة (ʔidāra) — the act of administering
  • Arabic: مُرَاقَبَة (murāqaba) — the act of administering
  • Armenian: վարչարարություն (varčʻararutʻyun) — the act of administering
  • Armenian: կառավարում (kaṙavarum) — the act of administering
  • Azerbaijani: idarə — the act of administering
  • Belarusian: адміністра́цыя (administrácyja) — the act of administering
  • Belarusian: кіраўні́цтва (kirawníctva) — the act of administering
  • Bulgarian: управле́ние (upravlénie) — the act of administering
  • Bulgarian: ръково́дство (rǎkovódstvo) — the act of administering
  • Catalan: administració — the act of administering
  • Chechen: администраци (administraci) — the act of administering
  • Chechen: ӏедал (ˀedal) — the act of administering
  • Chinese Mandarin: 行政 (xíngzhèng) — the act of administering
  • Chinese Mandarin: 管理 (guǎnlǐ) — the act of administering
  • Czech: správa — the act of administering
  • Czech: administrativa — the act of administering
  • Danish: administration — the act of administering
  • Dutch: administratie — the act of administering
  • Esperanto: administrantaro — the act of administering
  • Esperanto: administracio — the act of administering
  • Estonian: administratsioon — the act of administering
  • Estonian: haldamine — the act of administering
  • Finnish: hallinto — the act of administering
  • Finnish: hallintotoimi — the act of administering
  • French: administration — the act of administering
  • Galician: administración — the act of administering
  • Georgian: ადმინისტრირება (adminisṭrireba) — the act of administering
  • Georgian: ადმინისტრაცია (adminisṭracia) — the act of administering
  • Georgian: მართვა (martva) — the act of administering
  • Georgian: ხელმძღვანელობა (xelmʒɣvaneloba) — the act of administering
  • German: Verwaltung — the act of administering
  • German: Administration — the act of administering
  • German: Verwautig — the act of administering
  • Bavarian German: Vawoitung — the act of administering
  • Greek: διαχείριση (diacheírisi) — the act of administering
  • Greenlandic: allaffeqarfik — the act of administering
  • Haitian Creole: administrasyon — the act of administering
  • Hindi: निर्वाह (nirvāh) — the act of administering
  • Hindi: प्रबंधन (prabandhan) — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: adminisztráció — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: igazgatás — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: gazdálkodás — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: kezelés — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: szervezés — the act of administering
  • Hungarian: intézés — the act of administering
  • Indonesian: administrasi — the act of administering
  • Italian: amministrazione — the act of administering
  • Japanese: 管理 (kanri) — the act of administering
  • Kazakh: басқару (basqaru) — the act of administering
  • Korean: 관리 (gwalli) — the act of administering
  • Lao: ການຈັດການ (kān chat kān) — the act of administering
  • Latin: administrātiō — the act of administering
  • Latvian: pārvalde — the act of administering
  • Latvian: administrācija — the act of administering
  • Latvian: vadība — the act of administering
  • Lithuanian: administracija — the act of administering
  • Macedonian: администрација (administracija) — the act of administering
  • Malay: pentadbiran — the act of administering
  • Malay: administrasi — the act of administering
  • Malayalam: കാര്യനിർവഹണം (kāryaniṟvahaṇaṁ) — the act of administering
  • Māori: minitatanga — the act of administering
  • Norwegian Bokmål: administrasjon — the act of administering
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forvaltning — the act of administering
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: administrasjon — the act of administering
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvalting — the act of administering
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvaltning — the act of administering
  • Iranian Persian: اِدارِه (edâre) — the act of administering
  • Iranian Persian: مُدیرِیَّت (modiriyyat) — the act of administering
  • Polish: administracja — the act of administering
  • Portuguese: administração — the act of administering
  • Romanian: administrare — the act of administering
  • Russian: администра́ция (administrácija) — the act of administering
  • Russian: управле́ние (upravlénije) — the act of administering
  • Russian: руково́дство (rukovódstvo) — the act of administering
  • Northern Sami: administrašuvdna — the act of administering
  • Scottish Gaelic: riaghladh — the act of administering
  • Serbo-Croatian: администра́ција — the act of administering
  • Serbo-Croatian: administrácija — the act of administering
  • Sindhi: انتظامڪاري (ā̃tz̤āmkāre) — the act of administering
  • Slovak: správa — the act of administering
  • Slovene: uprava — the act of administering
  • Spanish: administración — the act of administering
  • Swedish: administration — the act of administering
  • Swedish: förvaltning — the act of administering
  • Tagalog: administrasyon — the act of administering
  • Tagalog: pangasiwaan — the act of administering
  • Tajik: маъмурият (ma'muriyat) — the act of administering
  • Tajik: мудирият (mudiriyat) — the act of administering
  • Tajik: идора (idora) — the act of administering
  • Telugu: నిర్వాహము (nirvāhamu) — the act of administering
  • Tetum: administrasaun — the act of administering
  • Thai: การจัดการ (gaan-jàt-gaan) — the act of administering
  • Turkish: idare — the act of administering
  • Turkish: yönetim — the act of administering
  • Turkish: idarecilik — the act of administering
  • Ottoman Turkish: اداره (idâre) — the act of administering
  • Ottoman Turkish: سیاست (siyâset) — the act of administering
  • Ottoman Turkish: زمام (zimâm) — the act of administering
  • Ukrainian: адміністра́ція (administrácija) — the act of administering
  • Ukrainian: управлі́ння (upravlínnja) — the act of administering
  • Ukrainian: керівни́цтво (kerivnýctvo) — the act of administering
  • Urdu: اِنْتِظامِیَہ (intizāmiya) — the act of administering
  • Urdu: اِنْتِظام (intizām) — the act of administering
  • Urdu: سِیاسَت (siyāsat) — the act of administering
  • Vietnamese: quản lý — the act of administering
  • Vietnamese: sự quản lý — the act of administering
  • Yiddish: אַדמיניסטראַציע (administratsye) — the act of administering
  • Albanian: qeveri — the executive part of government
  • Arabic: إِدَارَة تَنْفِيذِيَّة (ʔidārat tanfīḏiyya) — the executive part of government
  • Armenian: վարչակազմ (varčʻakazm) — the executive part of government
  • Azerbaijani: müdiriyyət — the executive part of government
  • Belarusian: адміністра́цыя (administrácyja) — the executive part of government
  • Belarusian: кірава́нне (kiravánnje) — the executive part of government
  • Belarusian: кірава́ньне (kiravánʹnje) — the executive part of government
  • Belarusian: праўле́нне (prawljénnje) — the executive part of government
  • Belarusian: праўле́ньне (prawljénʹnje) — the executive part of government
  • Bengali: প্রশাসন (prośaśon) — the executive part of government
  • Bulgarian: администра́ция (administrácija) — the executive part of government
  • Catalan: administració — the executive part of government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 機關 /机关 (jīguān) — the executive part of government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 政府 (zhèngfǔ) — the executive part of government
  • Czech: administrace — the executive part of government
  • Czech: správa — the executive part of government
  • Czech: administrativa — the executive part of government
  • Danish: forvaltning — the executive part of government
  • Dutch: bestuur — the executive part of government
  • Esperanto: administrado — the executive part of government
  • Esperanto: administracio — the executive part of government
  • Estonian: valitsus — the executive part of government
  • Finnish: johto — the executive part of government
  • Finnish: hallinto — the executive part of government
  • French: administration — the executive part of government
  • Galician: administración — the executive part of government
  • Georgian: ადმინისტრაცია (adminisṭracia) — the executive part of government
  • German: Verwaltung — the executive part of government
  • German: Verwautig — the executive part of government
  • Bavarian German: Vawoitung — the executive part of government
  • Haitian Creole: administrasyon — the executive part of government
  • Hebrew: מִנְהָל (minhál) — the executive part of government
  • Hindi: प्रशासन (praśāsan) — the executive part of government
  • Hungarian: kormányzat — the executive part of government
  • Hungarian: kormány — the executive part of government
  • Hungarian: apparátus — the executive part of government
  • Hungarian: államapparátus — the executive part of government
  • Japanese: 政権 (seiken) — the executive part of government
  • Japanese: 官庁 (kanchō) — the executive part of government
  • Japanese: 行政 (gyōsei) — the executive part of government
  • Kazakh: әкімшілік (äkımşılık) — the executive part of government
  • Kazakh: басқарма (basqarma) — the executive part of government
  • Korean: 정권 (jeonggwon) — the executive part of government
  • Korean: 관청 (gwancheong) — the executive part of government
  • Central Kurdish: بەرێوبەرایەتی (berêwberayetî) — the executive part of government
  • Kyrgyz: администрация (administratsiya) — the executive part of government
  • Kyrgyz: башкармалык (başkarmalık) — the executive part of government
  • Latin: administrātiō — the executive part of government
  • Latvian: valdība — the executive part of government
  • Lithuanian: valdžia — the executive part of government
  • Maltese: amministrazzjoni — the executive part of government
  • Norwegian Bokmål: administrasjon — the executive part of government
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forvaltning — the executive part of government
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: administrasjon — the executive part of government
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvalting — the executive part of government
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvaltning — the executive part of government
  • Iranian Persian: اِدارِه (edâre) — the executive part of government
  • Polish: administracja — the executive part of government
  • Portuguese: administração — the executive part of government
  • Romanian: administrație — the executive part of government
  • Russian: администра́ция (administrácija) — the executive part of government
  • Russian: управле́ние (upravlénije) — the executive part of government
  • Northern Sami: administrašuvdna — the executive part of government
  • Scots: admeenistration — the executive part of government
  • Serbo-Croatian: администра́ција — the executive part of government
  • Serbo-Croatian: administrácija — the executive part of government
  • Sindhi: انتظاميه (ā̃tz̤āmeh) — the executive part of government
  • Slovak: správa — the executive part of government
  • Slovak: administratíva — the executive part of government
  • Slovene: vlada — the executive part of government
  • Spanish: administración — the executive part of government
  • Swedish: förvaltning — the executive part of government
  • Tagalog: asiwa — the executive part of government
  • Tagalog: pangasiwaan — the executive part of government
  • Tagalog: administrasyon — the executive part of government
  • Tajik: маъмурият (ma'muriyat) — the executive part of government
  • Tajik: мудирият (mudiriyat) — the executive part of government
  • Tajik: идора (idora) — the executive part of government
  • Turkish: hükümet — the executive part of government
  • Ukrainian: адміністра́ція (administrácija) — the executive part of government
  • Ukrainian: управлі́ння (upravlínnja) — the executive part of government
  • Uyghur: ئىدارە (idare) — the executive part of government
  • Uzbek: administratsiya — the executive part of government
  • Uzbek: maʼmuriyat — the executive part of government
  • Uzbek: idora — the executive part of government
  • Uzbek: boshqarma — the executive part of government
  • Vietnamese: hành chính — the executive part of government
  • Catalan: administració — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Dutch: toediening — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Finnish: annostelu — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • French: administration — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Galician: administración — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • German: Verabreichung — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Hungarian: beadás — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Hungarian: adagolás — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Hungarian: nyújtás — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Hungarian: szolgáltatás — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Hungarian: ügyintézés — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Italian: somministrazione — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Polish: administracja — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Portuguese: ministração — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Portuguese: aplicação — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Portuguese: administração — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Romanian: administrare — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Russian: отправле́ние (otpravlénije) — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Russian: примене́ние (primenénije) — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Spanish: administración — the act of administering or tendering something to another
  • Farefare: yel-mãalgɔ zẽ'a — location of offices for this
Real reading context

administration in complete knowledge articles