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

• 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

In 2024, the U.S. Treasury, issued long overdue regulations on foreign trust adding additional administrative reporting requirements, burdens, and qualifications on foreign trusts, highlighting the current importance of ensuring trusts are classified correctly. —Priya Prakash Royal Esq. Ll.m. Mba Aep Tep, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Empowering Smaller Fleets Through Smart Tech Running a small fleet today often means juggling dispatch calls, DOT paperwork, route planning, driver support, and invoicing, all with limited administrative staff and tight margins. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 30 June 2025

Much of the cuts are expected to come through imposing new administrative requirements on enrollees, or risk losing their coverage. —Solcyré Burga, Time, 30 June 2025

As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong operates under different financial regulations and allows bitcoin trading. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 June 2025

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