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

• administrant
• administrator
• archon
• director
• exec
• executive
• manager
• 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

At the direction of supervisors on Wednesday, county staff will participate in the evaluation process, which includes analyzing the project’s financial assumptions. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2024

In a recorded phone call and in emails with supervisors, Day complained that Cigna’s metrics failed to account for the quality of decisions. —Patrick Rucker, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from supervidēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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