supervisor

noun

su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər 

: one that supervises

especially : an administrative officer in charge of a business, government, or school unit or operation

supervisory

ˌsü-pər-ˈvī-zə-rē 

-ˈvīz-rē

adjective

Synonyms of supervisor

• manager
• executive
• administrator
• director
• superintendent

Examples of supervisor in a Sentence

The supervisor fired him after he showed up at work drunk.

If you have a problem, go to your supervisor.

Recent Examples on the Web

The former San Francisco supervisor wants to pursue legislation to prevent insurance companies from raising the rates or dropping the coverage of a policyholder who files a claim. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath authored the motion, which has the support of four out of the five supervisors. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Included in the order is a provision allowing local supervisors of elections in affected areas to designate new polling places for sites that are unsafe or where voters can’t get to them because the roads are blocked due to flooding. — Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Ma, 60, is an accountant and former San Francisco supervisor, state assemblymember representing Marin and Sonoma counties, and member of the State Board of Equalization. — Senior Editor, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from supervidēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supervisor

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• fertilizer
• localizer
• merchandiser

Kids Definition

supervisor

noun

su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər 

: a person who supervises

especially : an officer in charge of a unit or an operation of a business, government, or school

supervisory

ˌsü-pər-ˈvīz-(ə-)rē 

adjective

Legal Definition

supervisor

noun

su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər 

: one that directs or oversees a person, group, department, organization, or operation

specifically : the popularly elected chief administrative official of a township or other subdivision in some states of the U.S.

supervisorial

ˌsü-pər-ˌvī-ˈzōr-ē-əl

adjective

supervisory

ˌsü-pər-ˈvī-zə-rē 

adjective