administrivia

noun

ad·​min·​is·​triv·​ia əd-¦mi-nə-ˈstri-vē-ə 

: routine paperwork and other administrative tasks that are regarded as trivial, uninteresting, and time-consuming

Without a doubt, current spending patterns put too many dollars toward administrivia and too often place political concerns ahead of real student needs.

—Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), 25 Sept. 1999

Despite the school's large number of inexperienced teachers, I.S. 193's two staff developers do little teacher training, some faculty members said. Instead, they said, the developers work on what some in the school have dubbed "administrivia"—paperwork, reports and memos.

—Sam Dillon, New York Times, 9 May 1994

Word History

Etymology

blend of administr- (in administration, administrative) and trivia

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!