administrative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of administrative
From the Latin word administrātīvus, dating back to 1725–35. See administrate, -ive
Explanation
If your job is administrative, you're pretty much limited to paperwork, check-writing, or maybe hiring and firing. Administrative means having to do with overseeing the "office-y" things. An artist doesn't have time for administrative details; they're too busy creating. A successful artist will hire a manager to handle the administrative aspects of his career, such as contacting galleries, setting up shows, and making sure they get paid for their work. People who handle administrative duties are often called bureaucrats, which is typically not a nice name to be called. Sometimes they're called "administrators." Teachers are there to teach; principals have to handle the administrative duties of running a school.
Vocabulary lists containing administrative
Obama's 2013 State of the Union
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Sincerely Sicily
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State and Local Governments, Sections 1–4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the young women who would have become telephone operators became stenographers, administrative assistants and waitresses instead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Supporters of the overhaul argue that the previous system contained an excessive number of overlapping or rarely used categories, which created administrative inefficiencies without significantly improving religious accommodation or support.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
The remaining $5 million will pay administrative costs with any balance "allocated to the benefit of global club football".
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Alberto Carvalho, who remains on administrative leave as a federal investigation proceeds.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Eva took on administrative duties for our new project, which were pretty challenging given that federal dollars came with all kinds of complex reporting and accounting requirements.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
