Administrate Details

The word administrate is a verb formed from the noun administration. To administrate is the act of managing, controlling, or running something and usually involves administrative duties and making major decisions. An administrator will generally oversee the overall operations of an organization or project. A person who administrator will often supervise others, take responsibility for how a business or organization acts, and make decisions like hiring and firing employees.

Someone who administrates manages people. They're often a jack-of-all-trades, coordinating between internal team members and external customers. The big and small issues will be a concern of someone who administrates. In general, an effective administrator will have conceptual skills, technical skills, and human skills.

Here are a few examples of how you can use the word administrate in a sentence professionally:

  • "Someone must administrate the funds raised for people with cancer."
  • "You can administrate your social media notifications in the app."
  • "They need to hire someone to administrate the new department."

Examples Of Administrative Acts

An administrator is someone designated to manage or perform official duties in certain settings. Examples of people in charge of something's operations include the president of a college, small business owners, and trustee of a fund account.

For these examples, a college president will administrate all college aspects, including majors to offer, donor relations, and student life. A small business owner oversees all business components and administrates finances, customer interaction, and employees. A trustee of a fund account will be in charge of administrating how the funds are allocated and invested.

You can also say that a CEO administrates a company under their charge. If a scandal occurs, the administrator usually takes the responsibility of the blame on behalf of the team. For example, in 2011, Netflix Inc.'s CEO Reed Hastings wrote a letter to subscribers apologizing for mishandling price changes at the time. In the letter, he accepts responsibility for what happened in his company and says "I messed up."

Significance Of Administrating

It is significant that someone in a business or organization administrates because their role is to provide guidance and support. The person who administrates is essentially the leader and makes the most crucial decisions. Having an administrator often results in greater performance efficiency, clarity in delegation decisions, and a reliable spokesperson for an organization's culture and goals.

While the person who administrates may not specialize in every aspect of a business or organization, they often oversee how all moving parts come together. The administrator should be aware of the organization's trajectory or make sure the administrating activities align with the team's greater goals.

History Of the Term Administrate

The term administrate originates in the mid-16th-century. It comes from the Latin word administrat, meaning "managed," which is derived from the Latin verb administrare. Since the words administer and administration have existed since the 14-century, the term administrate can also be considered a back-formation of administration.

Administrate vs. Administer

Both administer and administrate have the same meaning. However, administer is a more commonly used word. Some dictionaries will only list administer as a word, but they both mean managing or controlling operations.

Additionally, the term administer can apply to scenarios beyond the operations of a business or organization. For example, a nurse can administer medication to a patient using a needle, or a priest may administer Holy Communion to a sick person approaching death.

Administrate vs. Supervise

These two words are very similar but do have slight differences, depending on the situation. Both refer to the activities of people with leadership positions and obligations.

Generally, to administrate is to manage different departments and oversee a business or organization's overall performance. An administrator will make decisions, execute decisions, and direct.

In contrast, supervising is at a more micro-level and is considered a managerial process. Someone who supervises will monitor a person's performance, explains, stimulates, and guides. Supervising may also help with decisions and order executions. Generally, an administrator will administrate and have supervising duties but not all supervisors administrate.