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

• 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

Emily Warren, a state deputy transportation secretary, emailed the Tesla public-policy staffer and top officials at two other state agencies overseeing autonomous vehicles, citing concern over public misconceptions about Tesla’s Bay Area plans. —Chris Kirkham, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025

Oracle would receive a copy of the algorithm and oversee the app’s security operations. —Chris Megerian, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025

When Helling was an undergraduate student in the 1990s at UC San Diego — which oversees the aquarium as the outreach center for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography — the facility was known as the Wayland Vaughan Aquarium-Museum. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025

These two cities are already home to offices overseeing business in the Americas and the Middle East. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025

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