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

Mfundu, a corrections officer who has worked at the detention center for two years, was placed on unpaid leave pending further administrative action, the sheriff’s office said. — Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

The controversy required substantial administrative resources, Bowles said, including reviewing extensive chat records, investigating complaints and coordinating assistance for affected students. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

That’s the case in Baltimore County as well — the administrative officer is paid a flat annual salary and does not receive general increases or cost-of-living adjustments. — Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026

Expanding insurance coverage for elective egg freezing, as New York state is exploring, as opposed to relying on employer subsidies which perpetuate inequities and the administrative burden on self-paying patients, is a critical step. — Pooja Yerramilli, STAT, 28 Oct. 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