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
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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.
The group also said it would continue with plans to lay off 4,000 administrative staff members.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
This is part of the European Commission’s commitment to reduce administrative burdens by 25% for all businesses and 35% for small and midsize enterprises by 2029.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
They include more than 3,500 in administrative detention without trial or charge.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Levies would depend on the size of the ships and bundle basic transit fees, security escort charges and administrative processing fees.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Perhaps more striking, he had never had any administrative experience.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
