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

His six children inherited the franchise through a family trust, with Jeanie continuing to oversee the team’s business operations and succeeding her father as the Lakers’ representative on the NBA Board of Governors. — Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Higgins Quasebarth & Partners will consult on the overall historic preservation, while Schaum Architects will oversee the architectural design and TyLin will lead the structural integrity of the Artillery Sheds. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

To that, Magistrate Judge Ajay Krishnan, who took on his role in January, has been named to oversee discovery. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

Stony Island Reclamation is a subsidiary of Land and Lakes and oversees the Harbor View landfill. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 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