supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz How to pronounce supervise (audio)
supervised; supervising

transitive verb

: to be in charge of : superintend, oversee
supervise a large staff
supervised the ship's daily operations

Examples of supervise in a Sentence

The builder supervised the construction of the house. She supervises a staff of 30 workers.
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.
The judge said Habba can't participate in or supervise these defendants' prosecutions, and that her past actions in their cases – such as signing an indictment – were void. Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025 The Matrix Reloaded, where his son R.A. Rondell served as supervising stunt coordinator. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2025 Pre-teens often struggle to detect misinformation or nuance, so early use should be closely supervised. C.m. Rubin, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Miller later supervised Amado and Montez and praised the two during their annual reviews. Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for supervise

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin supervisus, past participle of supervidēre, from Latin super- + vidēre to see — more at wit

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supervise was circa 1645

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supervise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supervise. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

supervise

verb
su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz How to pronounce supervise (audio)
supervised; supervising
Etymology

from Latin supervisus, past participle of supervidēre "to oversee," from super- "over, above" and vidēre "to see" — related to vision

More from Merriam-Webster on supervise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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