superintendent

1 of 2

noun

su·​per·​in·​ten·​dent ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈten-dənt How to pronounce superintendent (audio)
ˌsü-pərn-
: one who has executive oversight and charge

superintendent

2 of 2

adjective

: having executive oversight and charge of something : of, relating to, or being a superintendent
superintendent [=supervising] powers
a superintendent officer
The wedding will take place three days after our return to England, by special license, at the office of the district superintendent registrar, in the presence of my solicitor and his clerk, who, like his clients, will be in ordinary walking dress.George Bernard Shaw

Examples of superintendent in a Sentence

Noun the office of the superintendent of parks issues camping permits
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But a longstanding argument against any updates to the sculpture, said Dan Wenk, the former superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, is that the piece of art is already finished, visually and rhetorically. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 5 July 2025 Adam Friday resigned as acting superintendent for the sanitation department, effective June 3, two weeks after the incident with Street Commissioner Brandon Downey, town records show. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025
Adjective
Two superintendent finalists, Ben Shuldiner and Brian Yearwood, participated in public forums to discuss their priorities for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 Keller’s school board identified Cory Wilson as the lone finalist for the superintendent job on June 5. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for superintendent

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin superintendent-, superintendens, from Late Latin, present participle of superintendere

First Known Use

Noun

1554, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of superintendent was in 1554

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Superintendent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superintendent. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

superintendent

noun
su·​per·​in·​ten·​dent ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈten-dənt How to pronounce superintendent (audio)
ˌsü-pərn-
: a person who directs, manages, or maintains something

Legal Definition

superintendent

noun
su·​per·​in·​ten·​dent
: one who has the oversight and charge of a place, institution, department, organization, or operation
specifically : the executive head of a police department

More from Merriam-Webster on superintendent

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