-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
administrator
noun
ad·min·is·tra·tor
əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tər
-ˌstrā-ˌtȯr
1
: a person legally vested with the right of administration of an estate
2
a
: one who administers especially business, school, or governmental affairs
b
: a person who manages a computer network or system
network administrators
3
: a priest appointed to administer a diocese or parish temporarily
Synonyms
Examples of administrator in a Sentence
Her eldest son will act as the administrator of the estate.
Recent Examples on the Web
What does the administrator of the Small Business Administration do?
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Lee Zeldin Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
—Kinsey Crowley, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Trump also chose former Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Linda’s nomination follows the Nov. 19 announcement that Trump nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for administrator
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.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English administratour, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin administātor "person in charge, manager," from administrāre "to administer" + -tor, agent suffix
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of administrator was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near administrator
Cite this Entry
“Administrator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administrator. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
administrator
noun
ad·min·is·tra·tor
əd-ˈmin-ə-ˌstrāt-ər
: a person who administers especially business, school, or government affairs
Legal Definition
administrator
noun
ad·min·i·stra·tor
əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tər
1
: a person appointed by a probate court to manage the distribution of the assets in the estate of a person who has died without leaving a valid will or leaving a will that does not name an executor able or willing to perform see also administratrix, letters of administration at letter sense 2 compare executor, personal representative
—
administrator ad litem
: an administrator appointed to represent an estate that is a necessary party to a lawsuit
—
administrator cum testamento annexo
: administrator with the will annexed in this entry
—
administrator de bonis non
\
-dē-ˈbō-nis-ˈnän, -dā-ˈbō-nis-ˈnōn
\
: an administrator appointed to administer the remaining assets in the estate when the preceding administrator or executor can or will no longer perform
—
administrator pendente lite
\
-pen-ˈden-tē-ˈlī-tē, -pen-ˈden-tā-ˈlē-tā
\
: special administrator in this entry
—
administrator with the will annexed
: an administrator appointed to administer an estate where the will names no executor or where the named executor is incapable of performing or unwilling to perform
called also administrator cum testamento annexo
—
ancillary administrator
: a subordinate administrator appointed to administer the assets of an estate that are located in a different jurisdiction from the one where the deceased was domiciled and where the primary administration of the estate is taking place
—
foreign administrator
: an administrator appointed in another state
—
general administrator
: an administrator appointed to administer the entire estate of a deceased person in accordance with the laws of intestacy or in accordance with the will if there is one compare special administrator in this entry
—
independent administrator
: an administrator whose administration of the estate is entirely or mostly unsupervised by the probate court
—
public administrator
: a public officer who administers the estates of deceased people when there is no one else willing or entitled to perform
: an administrator appointed in some states for the sole purpose of being responsible for the assets in an estate pending settlement of a dispute or when there is doubt as to who should be appointed administrator
—
special administrator
: an administrator appointed to administer only a designated part of the deceased person's estate
: an administrator appointed for the sole purpose of being responsible for the assets in an estate usually in some emergency (as a will contest) compare general administrator in this entry
2
: a person that administers
especially, often capitalized
: the head of a government agency
More from Merriam-Webster on administrator
Nglish: Translation of administrator for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of administrator for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share