Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Administrative has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
of or relating to or responsible for administration
"The administrative staff spent the morning organizing all the new employee files before the audit began."
Of or relating to administering or administration.
"The new administrative policies will streamline how our department handles employee requests and records."
In plain English: Administrative means dealing with the routine tasks and paperwork needed to run an organization.
"She handles all the administrative work for the small office."
Usage: Use administrative to describe tasks, duties, or departments that involve managing an organization's routine operations and paperwork rather than its core business activities. It correctly modifies nouns like "assistant," "process," or "support" to indicate a focus on internal management instead of direct production or sales.
The word administrative comes from the verb to administer combined with the suffix -ive. It entered English through French as a term relating to managing or overseeing affairs.