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

The two aides -- Jihun Han, Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff, and Rebecca Wright, the deputy chief of staff -- were placed on administrative leave this month after they were named in the first complaint. —Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026

Peloton also significantly cut operating expenses—selling, general, and administrative costs dropped noticeably compared to the previous year—but the company warned that operating costs remain too elevated relative to its current revenue base. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Stacey Greenlee worked as an administrative assistant for the owner of Guglielmo Winery from October 2022 to March 2024, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

Walters, on the other hand, sought to make sweeping policy changes through administrative rulemaking. —Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice, 23 Jan. 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
• agglutinative
• ameliorative
• appreciative
• assimilative
• associative
• authoritative
• collaborative
• cooperative
• deliberative

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