administrate

administrate — verb

  • administratepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • administrates3rd person singular
  • administrating-ing form
  • administratedpast simple

1. to organize and direct the work, people, and resources of a company, institution

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to organize and direct the work, people, and resources of a company, institution, or project, making sure everything runs smoothly.

Example

The hospital board hired Constanza to administrate its new mental health program across three cities.

administrate + program / project / department

Gabriel's team administrates the scholarship fund for over two hundred international students each year.

Common collocations
  • administrate a programme
  • administrate a fund
  • administrate a department
  • administrate operations
  • administrate a project
Synonyms
  • manage

    more general and everyday; can be used for both small tasks and large systems

  • administer

    more common than administrate in formal writing; preferred in legal and medical contexts

  • direct

    emphasises giving guidance and making decisions rather than handling all the details

  • oversee

    focuses on supervision rather than hands-on organisation

Antonyms
  • mismanage

    to organise or direct something badly

Grammar Patterns

administrate + noun phrase

Usage Note

Formal contexts only; the subject is usually an organization, institution, or large-scale system rather than an individual person's routine tasks.

Common Mistakes

She administrated the office every day from nine to five.
She managed the office every day from nine to five.
For routine workplace running, use 'manage' or 'run'; 'administrate' implies overseeing a formal system or programme.

2. to give out or provide something to the people who are supposed to receive it, s

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give out or provide something to the people who are supposed to receive it, such as medicine, a test, or a formal promise.

Example

The school nurse will administrate the flu vaccine to all students next Wednesday morning.

administrate + vaccine / medication / treatment

Rania signed the necessary forms to administrate the final exam to the graduating class.

Common collocations
  • administrate a vaccine
  • administrate an exam
  • administrate an oath
  • administrate aid
  • administrate treatment
Synonyms
  • administer

    far more common than 'administrate' for this meaning; the standard word in medicine and law

  • dispense

    suggests measured or official distribution, especially of medicine or money

  • provide

    a broader, less formal term for giving something needed

Grammar Patterns

administrate + something + to + someone

Usage Note

The direct object of this sense must be the thing given (medicine, aid, a test, an oath), not the person receiving it. The recipient is introduced by 'to'.

Common Mistakes

The doctor administrated the patient the medicine.
The doctor administrated the medicine to the patient.
When there are two objects, the recipient must follow 'to'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Administrate' overlaps heavily with 'administer', but 'administer' is far more common in both writing and speech — especially in legal, medical, and academic contexts. 'Manage' is the broadest and most everyday choice: you can manage your time, a small team, or a global corporation, while 'administrate' and 'administer' suit formal systems, programmes, and institutions. 'Direct' emphasises setting the course and making key decisions rather than handling the daily operations. 'Oversee' centres on supervision and checking that others are doing the work correctly. For example, a CFO administrates the company budget, a project manager oversees the construction team, and the CEO directs the long-term strategy. In everyday use, prefer 'manage' unless you need the formal tone of 'administer' or 'administrate'.

administer ↗manage ↗direct ↗oversee ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be responsible for administrating
  • be charged with administrating
  • have the authority to administrate

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Administrate' is a back-formation from 'administration', which entered English through Old French 'administracion' from Latin 'administratio' meaning 'management' or 'direction'. The Latin root 'administrare' combines 'ad-' (toward) with 'ministrare' (to serve). Although 'administrate' appeared in English as early as the 1500s, it remained rare for centuries while 'administer' was the standard verb. In the 20th century, 'administrate' gained wider use in business, government, and education contexts, partly as a more regular verb form derived naturally from 'administration'.

First known use

1538

1538, in the meaning defined above