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

In 2020, an American drone strike had assassinated General Qassem Suleimani, who oversaw support for Iran’s proxies and was widely viewed as the theocracy’s second most powerful leader, after Khamenei. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026

The partial shutdown began in mid-February after Congress failed to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026

But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026

Parker will now oversee Gary’s involvement in his first unit as a coordinator, starting with Gary joining the outside linebacker room. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 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