Administer and Govern

Administer

Administer verb - To look after and make decisions about.
Usage example: the lieutenant governor administers the affairs of the state in the absence of the governor

Govern is a synonym for administer in manage topic. In some cases you can use "Govern" instead a verb "Administer", when it comes to topics like rule, over, oversee, manage an organization or effort. popular alternative

Govern

Govern verb - To exercise authority or power over.
Usage example: the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls

Administer is a synonym for govern in rule topic. You can use "Administer" instead a verb "Govern", if it concerns topics such as manage, over, oversee. popular alternative

Common collocations

country administer country govern country
empire administer empire govern empire
Cite this Source
Govern and Administer. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/administer/govern
Administer & Govern. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/administer/govern>.
Govern or Administer. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/administer/govern.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "administer" and "govern" have occurred on timeline