Administrative

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stɹə.tɪv/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the management and oversight of operations within an organization or system Relating to the functions and duties necessary for efficient governance and administration Associated with the organizational aspects and responsibilities of directing an entity's activities
2. Connected to the tasks of managing and supervising the operation of an organization or system
3. Involving the execution and coordination of policies and procedures within an entity

Etymology: "Administrative" is a plain formation: it combines "administrate," a verb meaning to manage or govern, with the suffix "-ive," which turns a verb into an adjective meaning "tending to" or "relating to" that action. So an administrative task is one that tends toward administering, and the adjective carries the sense of the verb's whole field of work: directing, organizing, and overseeing an organization's activities. The verb "administrate" is itself rooted in Latin "administrare," meaning to manage or serve, built from "ad-" (toward) and "ministrare" (to serve), the same root that gives "minister." That shared ancestry is why the idea of management in "administrative" carries an older sense of service and assistance.

Synonyms: managerial, executive, organizational, bureaucratic, regulatory

Antonyms: operational, manual, practical, hands-on, tactical