supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz 

supervised; supervising

transitive verb

: to be in charge of : superintend, oversee

supervise a large staff

supervised the ship's daily operations

Synonyms of supervise

• oversee
• handle
• manage

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

Diego Amson, Brad Tiemann and Joe Awgul serve as co-exec producers, Margaret Morales is supervising producer and Benjamin Hurvitz and Melissa Tallerine exec produce for MTV. — Peter White, Deadline, 15 July 2026

Officers are working to gather information regarding the circumstances that may have led up to the crash, including who was supervising the children. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026

The Broward Sheriff's Office says adults should always supervise young children near water, and to keep small children within arms reach. — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Adults should closely supervise children around water and avoid distractions such as reading, using a phone, or other activities that take attention away from swimmers, the agency states on its website. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 July 2026

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

Rhymes for supervise

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz 

supervised; supervising

: superintend, oversee

Etymology

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