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

Layers of middle management have disappeared in the name of efficiency, with teams combined, reporting lines widened and managers expected to oversee more people, more projects and more moving parts than ever before. —Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Last year, when SDN was still known as MILNET, a Space Force commander responsible for operating the military’s communications satellites said the network would comprise some 480 satellites operated by SpaceX and overseen by a military mission director. —ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026

The brothers were known for maintaining a close relationship despite overseeing different corners of the empire, and frequently traded business notes over dinners at Sette Mezzo on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 May 2026

The agency has a $373 million annual budget and oversees $1 billion in federal grants. —Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 27 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