administrative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- administratively adverb
- nonadministrative adjective
- nonadministratively adverb
- preadministrative adjective
- subadministrative adjective
- subadministratively adverb
- unadministrative adjective
- unadministratively adverb
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Sincerely Sicily
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
State and Local Governments, Sections 1–4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
A projection by the city administrative officer estimates the city’s budget deficit to be “several hundred million.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Recognize that we’ve created a healthcare system monster that needs reform by removing layers of expensive administrative costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
In addition to increased documentation requirements and the rollback of administrative improvements, the way states and participants interact has been fundamentally altered by the passage of H.R.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Half of our administrative discussions were focused around how to limit A.I.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
I stopped working on it three years ago, when he married Linda, his administrative assistant.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
