administrative
Americanadjective
Other Word 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.
In Bolivia's administrative capital La Paz, a line of shoppers surge to get their hands on one of the chickens that have just been delivered to a poultry store.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
However, the ONS warned that revisions are more likely for April given the start of a new tax year, which can lead to underreporting of employment for administrative reasons.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
A council says one of its beaches has no Blue Flag this year because of an "administrative error", though insists it still has an "exceptional standard of care and quality".
From BBC • May 18, 2026
In a statement to The Times, Komrosky said he thought the photo of the polo players was “inappropriate and their attire didn’t align with the district’s dress code administrative regulation.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
They could not get the stretcher from the medical center because the medical administrative staff was on strike, too.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
