superintendent

1 of 2

noun

su·​per·​in·​ten·​dent ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈten-dənt 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• manager
• administrator
• executive
• director
• supervisor

Examples of superintendent in a Sentence

Noun

the office of the superintendent of parks issues camping permits

Recent Examples on the Web

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

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

Phrases Containing superintendent

• sidewalk superintendent

Rhymes for superintendent

• interdependent
• appendant
• ascendant
• attendant
• defendant
• dependant
• dependent
• descendant
• descendent
• intendant
• resplendent
• transcendent

Kids Definition

superintendent

noun

su·​per·​in·​ten·​dent ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈten-dənt 

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