English
administration
Administration comes from Middle English administracioun, from Old French administration, from Latin administrātiō, from administrō ‘to manage’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadministrō1as administrare‘to manage, attend upon’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadministrātiō1‘administration, management’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400administration1
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500administracioun1
- Englishearliest quotation 1949administration1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English administration
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1949, F. A. Hayek, The Intellectuals and Socialism: “[…] the fact that the propertied classes are no…”.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadministrōWiktionary, English administrationas administrare‘to manage, attend upon’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadministrātiōWiktionary, English administration‘administration, management’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400administrationWiktionary, English administration
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500administraciounWiktionary, English administration
- Englishearliest quotation 1949administrationWiktionary, English administration. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1949, F. A. Hayek, The Intellectuals and Socialism: “[…] the fact that the propertied classes are no…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *minōs ‘less’
through Latin minister ‘attendant’
Today it means
noun The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “administration”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Latin administrō / administration