administratif

Administratif is a French adjective meaning relating to administration, especially public administration. It describes government bodies, administrative processes, and the rules governing public-sector activity. The term is widely used in official language and everyday speech to distinguish bureaucratic or organizational aspects from political or executive ones. It also appears as a noun in phrases like les services administratifs (administrative services) and le personnel administratif (administrative staff).

Etymology and scope: derived from Late Latin administrativus through Old French, administratif shares roots with terms across Romance languages. It forms the basis of expressions like droit administratif (administrative law) and institutions such as les autorités administratives.

In law: droit administratif concerns the actions of public authorities and their relations with citizens. It covers administrative acts, public contracts, and the procedures for challenging decisions, often before administrative courts such as the Conseil d'État in France.

In administration: the term also denotes the practical side of governance—office work, record-keeping, budgeting, and the implementation of policies by civil servants.

Global usage: administratif is primarily used in French-language contexts and in bilingual discussions of public administration and law. In English-language texts, administrative and administrative law are usually employed as translations, with the French term appearing mainly in discussions of French or francophone administrative systems.