1. (n.) 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; management.

2. (n.) The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are entrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain.

3. (n.) The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation; as, the administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament.

4. (n.) The management and disposal, under legal authority, of the estate of an intestate, or of a testator having no competent executor.

5. (n.) The management of an estate of a deceased person by an executor, the strictly corresponding term execution not being in use.

academic dean accomplishment achievement administering administrator application applying archon auspices authority bestowal board board of directors board of regents board of trustees bureaucracy cabinet cadre care chancellor charge chief executive chief executive officer civil government claws clutches command command function commission completion conduct control council cure custodianship custody dean dean of men dean of women decision-making delivery direction directorate directory disbursal disbursement discharge discipline dispatch dispensation dispersion disposal disposition distribution dole doling doling out dominion dosage dosing effectuation empery empire enactment enforcing execution executive executive arm executive committee executive director executive function executive hierarchy executive officer executive secretary forcing forcing on form of government furnishing giving giving out governance governing board governing body government grip guardianship guidance hand handling hands headmaster headmistress hierarchy higher echelons higher-ups implementation infrastructure interlocking directorate iron hand issuance jurisdiction keeping magistrate management managing director master meting out ministry officer official officialdom officiation oversight passing around pastorage pastorate pastorship patronage paying out performance perpetration political organization polity power prefect prelacy prescribing president prexy principal protectorship provision provost raj rector regime regimen regnancy regulation reign rule ruling class ruling classes safe hands secretary sovereignty steering committee stewardship superintendence supervision supplying sway system of government talons the Establishment the administration the authorities the brass the executive the ingroup the interests the people upstairs the power elite the power structure the top them they top brass transaction treasurer tutelage vice-chancellor vice-president ward warden wardenship wardship watch and ward wing