oversee

verb

over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē 

oversaw ˌō-vər-ˈsȯ  ; overseen ˌō-vər-ˈsēn  ; overseeing

transitive verb

1

: survey, watch

From his hilltop home he can oversee the river below.

2

a

: inspect, examine

oversees all new machinery

b

: to watch over and direct (an undertaking, a group of workers, etc.) in order to ensure a satisfactory outcome or performance : supervise

was hired to oversee the design and construction of the new library

oversaw 20 employees

Synonyms of oversee

• supervise
• manage
• operate
• regulate
• handle
• control
• conduct
• govern

Examples of oversee in a Sentence

He was hired to oversee design and construction of the new facility.

will oversee the new manufacturing division

Recent Examples on the Web

Alexis Corbière and Alexandre Portier, the French MPs overseeing the government commission investigating the shocking October 19, 2025, Louvre jewel heist, have accused the museum of deprioritizing security at the museum. —Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026

Eskamani also called for reforms to how FWC oversees facilities housing the animals, as the agency is not equipped to perform medical checks on the animals. —Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026

National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya has been overseeing the CDC since February. —Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

The nonprofit group oversaw a network of food distributors, many of them fraudulent, that stole school nutrition funds by claiming reimbursement for meals supposedly served. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oversee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

oversee

verb

over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē 

oversaw -ˈsȯ  ; overseen -ˈsēn  ; overseeing

1

: to look down upon : survey

2

a

: to look over : examine

b

: superintend, supervise