administers

Administers is the third-person singular present tense of the verb administer. It has several related meanings centered on managing, dispersing, or applying something to achieve a purpose. In general use, to administer is to supervise or govern the execution of tasks, projects, or services, often within an organization or institution; to administer a program means to oversee its operations and ensure compliance with rules and objectives.

In medicine and healthcare, to administer a substance means to give or dispense a drug or treatment to a patient, by an appropriate route such as oral, intravenous, intramuscular, topical, or inhaled. Administration also includes determining dosage, timing, and monitoring effects.

In legal and estate contexts, to administer can mean managing the estate of a deceased person or supervising the execution of a will or trust. An administrator or executor is appointed to carry out these duties, including collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing inheritance under probate law.

Etymology and related forms: administer derives from Latin administrare, from ad- “toward” and ministrare “to tend, serve.” Related nouns include administration and administrator, and related verb forms include administered and administering.

Usage notes: The nuances differ by jurisdiction. In law, administer often implies formal obligations and fiduciary duties; in medicine, it specifically concerns the provision of a therapeutic agent.