English Reference

Word

administrator

Phoneticsad·min·is·tra·tor, stress on the second syllable

US/ədˈmɪnəˌstɹeɪtɝ/

UK/ɐdmˈɪnɪstɹˌeɪtɐ/

Definitions

01office/business manager

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. someone who manages the daily operations and paperwork of a business or organisation.

n. an individual responsible for the executive or clerical management of an organisation or department.

“The school administrator handles all the student records and teacher schedules.”

“The hospital administrator implemented a new protocol to streamline patient admissions and reduce waiting times in the emergency department.”

02IT/computing

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. a person who looks after a computer system, website, or network.

n. a person responsible for the installation, configuration, and maintenance of a computer system or network.

“If you forget your password, you need to contact the system administrator.”

“The network administrator spent the weekend patching security vulnerabilities to prevent further unauthorised access to the corporate database.”

Synonyms

sysadminwebmaster

Antonyms

03legal/estates

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal · Technical

n. a person chosen by a court to manage the money and property of someone who has died.

n. a person legally appointed to manage or settle the estate of a deceased individual, particularly when no valid will exists.

“The court appointed an administrator to divide the property among the family members.”

“In the absence of a named executor in the will, the court designated a professional administrator to oversee the distribution of the deceased's assets.”

Synonyms

04government official

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Formal · British English

n. a high-ranking official who represents a government in a specific territory.

n. a high-level official representing the crown or a central government in certain territories or jurisdictions.

“The administrator of the island met with local leaders to discuss the new laws.”

“The Administrator of the Northern Territory performs functions similar to those of a state governor, acting as the representative of the Crown.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “administrator” in context.

Verb

01. act as administrator

“She was asked to act as administrator for the estate until the legal dispute was settled.”

verb + prep + noun

02. appoint an administrator

“The court decided to appoint an administrator to manage the company's assets during the bankruptcy proceedings.”

verb + noun

Adjective

03. senior administrator

“The senior administrator is responsible for overseeing the entire department's budget.”

adj + noun

04. system administrator

“Please contact the system administrator if you encounter any issues logging into the network.”

adj + noun

Noun

05. database administrator

“The database administrator optimized the server to handle the increased traffic.”

noun + noun

06. role of administrator

“He excelled in the role of administrator, streamlining the school's admissions process.”

noun + of + noun

Preposition

07. under an administrator

“The hospital was placed under an administrator to address the systemic financial mismanagement.”

prep + noun

Real-World Examples

“Teachers, administrators and child welfare workers have been recruited from the refugee community, allowing people who fled Sudan to help provide services for families displaced alongside them.”
Al Jazeera 15 Aug 2026
“In 2021, SpaceX partnered with businessman Jared Isaacman , who is now the NASA administrator, to advertise seats on the first all-civilian flight to orbit, Inspiration4 .”
Phys.org 15 Aug 2026
“Nasa's administrator Isaacman told us he wants his space agency to build on Apollo, not just repeat it.”
BBC News 11 Apr 2026

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *mey- Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Italic *minōs Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *minosteros Latin minister Latin ministrō Latin administrō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin administrātorbor. English administrator Borrowed from Latin administrātor (literally “he that is near to attend”). Doublet of administrador.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

administrator(C1)

Domains

ComputingLaw

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
Frequency
Common
Level
C1 · AdvancedOxford
Updated

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English Reference