administrative

adjective

ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tive əd-ˈmi-nə-ˌstrā-tiv How to pronounce administrative (audio)
-strə-
Synonyms of administrative
: 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Graham Knaus, the CEO of the California State Association of Counties, has been put on administrative leave. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The facility also will house research and development, administrative operations and distribution. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 The school board then filed for an administrative appeal in front of a circuit court judge. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 After his arrest, he was placed on administrative leave without pay from the police department. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for administrative

Word History

Etymology

administr(ation) + -ative

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of administrative was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Administrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administrative. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

administrative

adjective
ad·​min·​is·​tra·​tive əd-ˈmin-ə-ˌstrāt-iv How to pronounce administrative (audio)
-strət-
: of or relating to administration
an administrative position

Legal Definition

administrative

adjective
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster