To administer means to manage, organize, or give out something in an official or responsible way. When a school principal administers a school, they handle everything from budgets to schedules to hiring teachers. When a doctor administers medicine, they carefully give a patient the right dose at the right time.

The word appears in many contexts. A teacher might administer a test, meaning they hand it out, time it, and collect it according to the rules. A government administers laws by making sure they're carried out properly. A referee administers the rules of a game by enforcing them fairly for everyone.

Administering something requires attention to detail and fairness. It means doing something systematically and responsibly, following proper procedures. When you administer first aid, you follow proper steps to help someone safely, not just slapping on a bandage.

The noun form is administration. A hospital administration runs the hospital. A new president's administration refers to the team and policies that carry out government work during their term. The word emphasizes the careful, organized work of keeping systems running smoothly and fairly.