administratorn.
/ədˈmɪnᵻstreɪtə/, U.S. /ədˈmɪnəˌstreɪdər/ 1. Law.
a. A person appointed to administer the estate of a deceased person in default of an executor.
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society > law > transfer of property > testamentary disposition > [noun] > management or disposal of estate > one who
executorc1280
secutora1300
minister1405
administrator1434
executor dative1526
ministrator1559
personal representative1796
1434 in A. T. Bannister Reg. Thome Spofford (1919) 184 (MED) Edmunde Cornwayll shall yeeve..to Sir Richard, administrator of the godis of the foresaid Richard Whittone.
1473–4 Rolls of Parl.: Edward IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1472 2nd Roll §26. m. 2 Administratour of the goodes and catalles that late were William Loksmythes..that died intestate.
1538 A. Fitzherbert Loffice & Auctoryte Iustiyes de Peas f. cxxvij Yf any person hauing shepe of his owne, happen to be made executour, or administratour.
1597 in R. W. Ambler et al. Farmers & Fishermen (1987) 99 Item certaine dewties deteyned from the administrator which was dewe to the..deceased.
1629 Vse of Law 53 in J. Doddridge Lawyers Light All these are called Chattels Reall, and goe to the Executors and Administrators, and not to the heires.
1654 S. Clarke Marrow Eccl. Hist. (ed. 2) 807 The Prince Elector Palatine, Lodwick, being dead, and Price Cassimire being for the time made Administrator of his estate.
1718 Weekly Jamaica Courant 5 Aug. He being deceased, the said Sloops and Negroes are delivered into the Possession of his Widow and Administrator, Mrs Mary Major chief Owner thereof.
1766 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. II. 434 [They] shall go to his executors or administrators,..and shall not revest in the wife.
1824 T. F. Dibdin Libr. Compan. 455 Would not trust them to the custody of a careless heir, or mercenary administrator.
1870 J. Pinkerton Guide to Admin. 11 The administrator must bear in mind that he has nothing to do with the real estate of decedent.
1933 Calif. Law Rev. 21 317 Unless he could sue the administrator, the plaintiff would be remediless until the legatees had been paid the balance of the assets.
1999 Daily Nation (Nairobi) 9 Dec. 18/5 The tenants disobeyed court orders directing them to pay house rent..to..the interim administrator of the estate of Charles Anyanda Luyundi.
b. A person authorized to manage an estate for the legal owner during his or her minority, absence, incapacity, etc.; (Scots Law, in full administrator in (also at) law) a person empowered to act for another, spec. for a child.
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society > authority > delegated authority > one having delegated or derived authority > [noun] > steward or bailiff in charge of another's property
town-reeveeOE
reeveeOE
gravec1175
procuratorc1300
dispender1340
provost1340
bailiec1375
officerc1375
dispenserc1380
proctora1382
dispensator1382
farmerc1384
approverc1386
husbanda1387
stewardc1405
chamberlain1423
procurer1477
factor1520
bailiff1528
land-steward1535
improver1536
grieve1537
amtman1582
administrator1596
stead-man1609
dapifer1636
vogt1694
house jobber1709
commissioner1760
foreman1774
house agent1793
ground-officer1815
land-agent1846
wic-reeve1853
steadward1876
house farmer1882
house-knacker1884
land-sergeant1894
1596 ‘L. Pyott’ tr. A. Sylvain Orator 160 Reason bindeth the fathers..to beleeue that they (being no other then true administrators of their goods) ought to leaue them vnto their children.
1622 F. Bacon Hist. Raigne Henry VII 217 Whether he did hold it in his owne Right, or as Administrator to his Daughter.
1684 G. Mackenzie Instit. Law Scotl. i. vii. 70 A Father, is..in Law Administrator to his own Children, that is to say, is both Tutor, and Curator, to them.
1742 Decisions Court of Session 1724 126 The Father as Administrator in Law authorized his Son, because then a Minor.
1754 J. Erskine Princ. Law Scotl. II. iii. vi. 328 The arrestment is properly used in the hands of the tutor, as the pupil's administrator.
1829 Sc. Jurist 1 301/2 Where a married woman has been called as a defender, and her husband for his own interest, it is not necessary that an administrator-at-law should be also called for the wife.
1850 J. A. Cuthbert Compend. Law Executors, Administrators, Guardians, & Dower Alabama ii. 55 If an administrator durante minore ætate bring an action, he must aver in his declaration, that the infant is still under age.
1902 Sc. Law Rev. & Sheriff Court Rep. 18 356 The wife's deeds may be authorised to be signed without the interposition of the husband as her curator and administrator-in-law.
1958 Times 4 July 7/1 The House allowed an appeal by Mr. William Miller as tutor and administrator at law of his pupil child.
2006 R. L. Winer Women, Wealth, & Community Perpignan ii. 17 She..conceded that he retain possession of her assets as administrator for their minor children.
c. A person or agency appointed to administer the affairs of an insolvent person or company; (in later use also) British an agent appointed to manage the affairs of a company or person at risk of insolvency, esp. under the terms of an administration order. Cf. administration n. 5b.
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society > trade and finance > management of money > insolvency > [noun] > bankruptcy > appointee administering property of bankrupt > specifically of a company
administrator1843
1843 M. M. Robinson Rep. Supreme Court Louisiana 3 469 When the bankrupt files his petition and schedule, he surrenders his property to the court, which by law is made the administrator of the debtor's effects.
1907 Amer. Jrnl. Internat. Law 1 720 Take charge of the customs, administer the revenues, and divide the proceeds among the creditors to the account of their respective claims, exactly as an administrator or receiver of an insolvent commercial concern would do.
1982 Rep. Rev. Comm. Insolvency Law & Pract. (Cmnd. 8558) ix. 117 We propose that in all cases..provision should be made to enable a person (whom we shall call an Administrator) to be appointed..with all the powers normally conferred upon a receiver and manager appointed under a floating charge, including power to carry on the business of the company and to borrow for that purpose.
1994 J. Chandler in M. Gillooly Securities over Personalty i. 22 A secured creditor cannot enforce a charge during the administration without the written consent of the administrator or the leave of court.
2005 Daily Tel. 19 Apr. 28/3 Receivers are appointed by creditors who want their money back, administrators are called in by directors to rescue or close a company.
2.
a. A person charged with directing or managing the affairs of a region, institution, etc., esp. on behalf of or as nominated by another; (sometimes) spec. a governor.
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society > authority > control > person in control > [noun] > manager or administrator
purveyora1387
provisora1393
controller1422
administrator1440
administera1443
administrant1602
admin1629
conductor1634
dispensatora1649
dispenser1654
manager1682
mesnagier1693
prepositor1698
wielder1723
administrador1803
policeman1806
administrative1813
manipulator1823
runner1893
case manager1969
1440 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1835) V. 422 A commissioun to be dresseid to the General Vicar of the administrator of the bisshopricche of Ely for sembleables examinacion and certificat.
1561 H. Bennet tr. O. Mykonius in Famous & Godly Hist. sig. N.i The Lorde Thibaut Gerolzege..was the administrator of our Ladies Hermitage.
1620 N. Brent tr. P. Sarpi Hist. Councel of Trent ii. 265 That the Bishops shal take care of the Hospitals, that they be well gouerned by the administrators.
1656 J. Fowler Hist. Troubles Suethland & Poland 52 Torchilus the Son of Canutus, Suanto the Son of Nicolaus,..and many others, have been entitled Governours and Administrators of the Kingdome.
1705 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) V. 627 Danish troops were marching to dislodge the forces of the administrator of Holstein.
1762 P. Murdoch tr. A. F. Büsching New Syst. Geogr. V. 619 Princes of the electoral house of Saxony have been constantly postulated by the chapter as administrators of the bishopric.
1839 N. Bosworth Hochelaga Depicta x. 140 The Seigniors and principal administrators of the hospital..immediately confided its management to their care.
1880 Daily News 15 Apr. 5/6 The Acting Administrator of Griqualand West.
1935 Hispanic Amer. Hist. Rev. 15 369 The pettiness,..the negligence, and the indifference of the French administrators of Haiti.
1959 Jet 10 Dec. 9 (caption) Erwin J. Humboldt, administrator of the Los Angeles College of Medical Evangelists.
2010 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 21 Jan. a6/4 The administrator of Iraq..started a commission to oversee what was known as de-Baathification.
b. More generally: any person engaged in carrying out or overseeing the tasks necessary to run an organization, enterprise, etc.In early use frequently still with implications of holding executive power.account administrator: see the first element.
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1629 T. Browne tr. W. Camden Hist. Elizabeth iv. 220 Ordinarily the ends and Catastrophes of the Administratours [L. administris] of such great affaires as he did, are both sad, and sometimes sodaine.
1632 J. Story tr. Short Surv. Sweden iv. 45 The Lord Marshall..being master of the kings houshold, and administrator or orderer of the great counsell.
1699 W. P. tr. J. Le Clerc Suppl. Dr. Hammond's Paraphr. & Annot. New Test. 383 One [kind of discourse] is that which the Administrators of the Commonwealth make use of in publick Assemblies, and is called Political.
1798 J. Murdock Politicians i. iii. 8 It is our duty to support the administrators of our government.
1805 Kirby's Wonderful & Eccentric Museum 3 283 The administrators of the institution for the deaf and dumb..consigned him to the particular care of Madame Guerin.
1869 All Year Round 12 June 30/2 Its author is M. C. Lavollée, an administrator of the Omnibus Company of Paris.
1923 Westm. Gaz. 1 Jan. An administrator is 100 per cent. successful only when he gets every individual in the factory..working as enthusiastically as if he were working for himself on his own job.
1962 J. Braine Life at Top ii. 31 The despised administrator, the nasty unsympathetic accountant who kept his eye on office materials and methods.
1978 Nature 18 May 184/2 The number of administrators in an organisation expands irresistibly in response to the first law of sociodynamics.
2009 Philadelphia Nov. 119/2 There was Jannie Blackwell on the homeless cabinet, sitting in with administrators as policy was developed.
c. With modifying adjective: a person considered in regard to his or her ability to organize or manage something. Also simply: a person with administrative ability.
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1753 tr. F. Génard School of Man 82 A born Administrator must needs have an excellent Heart.
1795 tr. J.-M. Roland de La Platière Appeal to Impartial Posterity ii. 31 Claviere is..rather a good administrator than an able minister.
1849 G. L. Craik & C. MacFarlane Pict. Hist. Eng. VIII. iii. iii. 647/2 He was a good administrator, and also a very good penman.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 14 All the implements of war had been largely provided by Louvois, the first of living administrators.
1912 E. V. Lucas Wanderer in Florence v. 60 Giovanni [de' Medici] had been a banker before everything, Cosimo an administrator.
1940 J. Colville Diary 4 Apr. in Fringes of Power (1985) 95 He thought Sam Hoare would be good at the Air Ministry, as he is an excellent administrator.
1957 J. M. Hussey Byzantine World i. ii. 29 The Isaurians were administrators as well as soldiers.
2009 A. Everitt Hadrian & Triumph of Rome p. ix An experienced soldier and a brilliant administrator, he presided over the empire at its height.
d. Computing. = system administrator n. at system n. Compounds 3a. In later use also: (frequently with modifying word) a person who oversees the operation of an online forum, chat room, etc.; a moderator.
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1965 Washington Post 22 Oct. d9/7 IBM now has 450 programmers, engineers, analysts and administrators running the computer system at the space flight center.
1985 InfoWorld 2 Dec. 12/4 The contractual relationship with forum administrators is a private matter.
1992 MacUser Nov. 60/3 Administrators can prevent users from disabling certain functions..by locking the settings on the control panel.
1996 PC Week 5 Aug. 18/1 Windows NT Server Version 4.0 caters to administrators who believe in the one-stop shopping theory of network planning.
2003 P. Todd & J. Bloch Global Issues ii. 61 Chatroom administrators hire censors—known as ‘big mamas’—to screen the contents of bulletin boards.
3.
a. A person who or thing which provides, supplies, or furnishes something. Cf. administer v. 2, administrate v. 3.
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the mind > possession > giving > [noun] > giver
givera1300
bringera1400
donatorc1449
administerer1464
donora1513
tributor1548
administrator1561
accorder1861
1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. xiiii. f. 46 The Angels are the distributers and administratours [L. administros] of Goddes bountie towarde vs.
1629 W. Crosse tr. Sallust Warre of Iugurth viii, in Wks. 301 Scaurus is entertained for a Partner, and Administratour of all his counsels [L. administer omnium consiliorum].
1686 J. Goad Astro-meteorologica i. v. 15 The Sun is not the sole Administrator of Celestial warmth.
1747 J. Cheshire Gouty Man's Compan. Pref. p. xi I persuade myself that the Administrators of Medicines are not inferior to me in that disposition.
1791 W. Anderson Philos. Anc. Greece iv. ii. 189 Socrates would do well not to speak too much, lest, being overheated, as the administrator of the poison says, he should be obliged to repeat the draught several times.
1846 W. S. Landor Imaginary Conversat. in Wks. I. 227/2 Bonds may hold the weak; the stronger break them, and strangle the administrator.
1892 Denver Med. Times June 616 Everything..being presumably in readiness, the administrator of the anæsthetic is given the word to begin.
1910 H. Ward Voice from Congo 55 Lubaki was to officiate as the administrator of the poison.
1994 P. M. Kane Separatism & Subculture ii. 25 The Church had denied that the state was the optimal administrator of charity to the poor.
2007 H. G. Toland Gentleman Trooper p. viii He was..a much-decorated administrator of relief to starving survivors of World War I in Europe.
b. Christian Church. A person who dispenses a sacrament.
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society > faith > worship > sacrament > [noun] > administering > one who administers
ministera1425
administrator1563
administer1607
administrant1814
1563 J. Man tr. W. Musculus Common Places Christian Relig. 272 b We bee not makers of sacramentes, but administrators [L. administratores] of them.
1657 R. Baxter Safe Relig. App. 409 They have converted..the Table into an Alter and the administrator of the Sacrament into a Priest.
1720 Hist. King-killers II. 17 A Priest who had fallen into deadly Sin, was not a valid Administrator of the Sacraments.
1804 J. Whitaker Anc. Cathedral Cornwall I. ii. 71 One clergyman..who was generally called the offeiriad, or the administrator of the Eucharist.
1847 Eng. Rev. Sept. 115 The apostles were..constituted ministers of the New Testament, shepherds of the Church, and administrators of the sacraments.
1902 R. Rainy Anc. Catholic Church xxiv. 414 The efficacy of baptism in no degree depends on the administrator.
1973 L. B. Pascoe Jean Gerson v. 154 The parish priest..is..the duly authorized administrator of sacraments with regard to those under his jurisdiction.
2008 G. Macy Hidden Hist. Women's Ordination ii. 41 The central role of the priest as administrator of the sacraments became essential to ordination only with its redefinition.
4. A person who carries out the duties of an office, performs a requisite task, etc. Also: a person who dispenses justice.
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society > authority > office > holder of office > [noun] > functionary or one who officiates
administrator1573
functionary?1785
ministrant1818
apparatchik1969
the world > action or operation > carrying out > [noun] > of justice, etc. > one who
ministrator1450
administerer1464
ministrer1530
dispenser1654
administrator1681
1573 G. Gifford tr. W. Fulke Prælections sig. C.i He [sc. the Bishop of Smyrna] was free from heynouse offences, and a faithfull administratour of the office and charge committed vnto him.
1681 No Protestant-Plot 1 Nor dare we suppose the present Ministers and Administrators of Justice guilty of so great partiality.
1707 tr. Trav. Denmark & Some Parts Germany 1702 ii. 216 He was as it were Constituted Vicar of the Empire, and Chief Administrator of Justice.
1794 Politics for People II. No. 23. 358 Such..are the marks of an officious hireling; and such the Characteristics of a wise and upright Administrator of the Laws.
1865 Cornhill Mag. Oct. 429 The answers to them by the judges may embarrass the administrators of justice.
1881 (title) Reports of resident magistrates and administrators of native law on natives for the year 1880.
1907 Outlook 30 Nov. 718/1 He has so far proved to be an admirable administrator of his office.
1973 J. W. Polier in A. E. Wilkerson Rights of Children p. xv We need administrators of justice who will vigorously pursue and root out judicial abuses in the court.
2005 M. O'Brien John F. Kennedy xii. 264 Sorensen thought that Jack had only one serious weakness as an administrator of his office: He couldn't personally fire anyone.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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