ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

ad-
ac- — Used before c in Latin.
af- — Used before f in Latin.
ag- — Used before g in Latin.
al- — Used before l in Latin.
ap- — Used before p in Latin.
ar- — Used before r in Latin.
as- — Used before s in Latin.
at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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adjective

administrative

ad-MIN-ih-stray-tiv/ədˈmɪnɪstreɪtɪv/

Relating to managing or organizing an institution's activities.

Her administrative duties include scheduling meetings and maintaining staff records.

Office coordinator files folders and checks a simple appointment grid while another employee receives a folder.

Etymology

adLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+ministratLatinserve or attend

+iveLatinhaving a quality or tendency

The Latin combination carried both helping or serving and managing on others’ behalf. Administrative keeps the managing side: the work of organizing and directing an institution.

In context

Organizational Communication Channel5:45

how shall we manage people that was the big question that he wondered about he put forward a theory of management called administrative science or sometimes just called classical management

Classical Management Theory

More examples

The office hires an administrative assistant.
An administrative error delayed the application.
We set aside Friday morning for administrative work.

Forms

administration noun — The work of managing an organization or system.

Similar words

managerial: More directly concerns supervising people and making management decisions.
clerical: Emphasizes routine office tasks rather than organizational oversight.