supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz 

supervised; supervising

transitive verb

: to be in charge of : superintend, oversee

supervise a large staff

supervised the ship's daily operations

Synonyms

• oversee
• handle
• manage

Examples of supervise in a Sentence

The builder supervised the construction of the house.

She supervises a staff of 30 workers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even there, the pattern may complement rather than replace, as people supervise, troubleshoot, and handle the edge cases robots can’t. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025

Leashed, friendly dogs and (unleashed) kids are welcome, but please supervise at all times. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025

Now, these statistics are not surprising, especially when 7 in 10 managers liken supervising their Gen Z employees to babysitting or parenting. —Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Stokes, appointed and supervised by the chief district judge in Mecklenburg County, is not a licensed attorney or a member of the North Carolina State Bar, although magistrates in the state are not required to be. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin supervisus, past participle of supervidēre, from Latin super- + vidēre to see — more at wit

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supervise

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz 

supervised; supervising

: superintend, oversee

Etymology

from Latin supervisus, past participle of supervidēre "to oversee," from super- "over, above" and vidēre "to see" — related to vision