1. The act or process of administering, especially the management of a government or large institution.
2. The activity of a government or state in the exercise of its powers and duties.
3. often Administration
   1. The executive branch of a government.
   2. The group of people who manage or direct an institution, especially a school or college.
4. The term of office of an executive officer or body.
5. Law. Management and disposal of a trust or estate.
6. The dispensing, applying, or tendering of something, such as an oath, a sacrament, or medicine.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.