administrative

adjective

ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tive əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tiv 

-strə-

: of or relating to administration or an administration : relating to the management of a company, school, or other organization

administrative tasks/duties/responsibilities

administrative expenses/costs

a hospital's administrative staff

… these schools are given wide latitude in creating their teaching programs as long as they meet certain academic standards; they are also freed from many of the administrative and hiring rules governing traditional public schools.

—Suzanna Andrews

Synonyms of administrative

• managerial

Examples of administrative in a Sentence

She has an administrative job.

among his other administrative duties is the appointment of transit authority officials

Recent Examples on the Web

Approval timelines were unpredictable, administrative requirements had accumulated around projects that technically complied with zoning, and developers could not move forward with confidence. —Christina Mojica, Oc Register, 26 May 2026

Many of the detention facilities were not built as prisons, but were converted from schools, stadiums, hospitals, agricultural structures, residential apartments, and administrative complexes. —Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026

Instead, O’Connell alleges, the church knew most of the funds would be invested in ventures like Hollywood movies or luxury real estate, or used to cover administrative expenses. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 26 May 2026

For example, while AI systems may assist in medical triage or administrative support, patients and clients often still prefer human interaction when dealing with complex or sensitive issues. —Ulrich Boser, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

administr(ation) + -ative

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing administrative

• administrative county
• administrative law

Rhymes for administrative

• accommodative
• accumulative
• adjudicative
• affiliative
• agglutinative
• ameliorative
• appreciative
• assimilative
• associative
• authoritative
• collaborative
• cooperative

Kids Definition

administrative

adjective

ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tive əd-ˈmin-ə-ˌstrāt-iv 

-strət-

: of or relating to administration

an administrative position

Legal Definition

administrative

adjective

ad·​min·​i·​stra·​tive əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tiv 

1

: of or relating to the performance of a function : ministerial

administrative communications include…instructions that encourage a jury to continue its deliberations

—National Law Journal

2

: of or relating to the executive branch of a government compare legislative, judicial

3

: of or relating to a government agency

administrative remedies