1. To manage the affairs of a business, organization, or institution: Jeff mentioned that all the student groups and activities were administered by representatives.
2. To preside over the dispensation of something: The judge made every effort to administer justice in the fairest possible manner.
3. To give someone a measured amount of a medication, often by physically introducing it into the body: Before the little operation could take place, pain killers were administered into the patient's arm.
4. To carry out a set ritual or religious ceremony on behalf of a person or a group of people: After the baptism took place, the priest had the duty to administer the sacraments.
5. To oversee the taking of an oath by someone: In court, the judge had to administer and make sure that the witness swore properly, with his hand on the Bible.
6. To manage the distribution of, or dispose of, a deceased person's property: In accordance with the law, an executor, or trustee, is in charge of the trust estate and must administer it properly.
7. Etymology: "to manage as a steward" from Old French aministrer, from Latin administrare, "to serve, to carry out, to manage"; from ad-, "to" + ministrare, "to serve".

The minister part of administer came from about 1300 meaning, "someone who acts by the authority of another person" from Old French ministre "servant" which came from Latin minister, ministri, "servant, priest's assistant" (in Middle Latin, "priest"), from minus, minor, "less".

The meaning of "priest" was established in English from the early 14th century. The political sense of "a high officer of the state" is determined from the 1620s from the concept of "service to the crown". The verb is from about 1300, originally meaning "to serve (food or drinks)".