Administrative describes work that involves organizing, managing, and keeping track of the details that help a school, business, or organization run smoothly. When your school principal handles administrative tasks, she might be scheduling parent-teacher conferences, organizing staff meetings, managing the budget, or making sure all the necessary paperwork gets filed correctly.

Administrative work is the behind-the-scenes organizing that makes everything else possible. A hospital's administrative staff schedules appointments, maintains patient records, and processes insurance forms so doctors can focus on treating patients. A company's administrative team handles things like payroll, ordering supplies, and coordinating meetings. Your teacher does some administrative work when she takes attendance, records grades, and fills out reports, though teaching is her main job.

Someone in an administrative role or administrative position typically handles coordination, paperwork, communication, and planning rather than the hands-on work itself. For example, a school's administration includes the principal, vice principal, and office staff who manage operations while teachers do the direct work of teaching.