To administer something is to manage or organize it, such as a business, program, or system. It can also mean to give something officially, like medicine or a test.
From Latin 'administrare', meaning 'to serve, manage, or carry out', from 'ad-' (to) + 'ministrare' (to serve), related to 'minister' (servant). It originally emphasized service rather than power.
To administer is literally 'to serve toward' a goal, not just boss people around. When a nurse administers medicine, they’re carefully carrying out a plan on your body’s behalf.
Administrative and care roles (administering medicine, managing households, clerical administration) have often been feminized and undervalued, even when requiring significant skill. Conversely, high-level administrative power (administering colonial territories, institutions) was historically concentrated in men’s hands.
Use “administer” neutrally across roles and levels, and recognize the skill involved in both care-focused and formal administrative work, regardless of gender.
["manage","give (medicine)","oversee"]
Women have long administered households, clinics, and organizations, often without formal recognition or pay, forming the backbone of many institutions.
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