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.
Creator Matt Groening was joined by Cohen, as well as executive producers Claudia Katz and Ken Keeler, supervising director Peter Avanzino, and Futurama stars Billy West (Fry, the Professor, Zoidberg), Lauren Tom (Amy), Phil LaMarr (Hermes), David Herman (Scruffy) and Maurice LaMarche (Kif). Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 July 2025 Under the new rules, the cultivation of medical cannabis will be supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, while processing, export, licensing, registration, and authorization for sale will fall under the oversight of the Ministry of Health. Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 If her appointment is approved by the Aurora City Council, Peterson will lead the city Finance Department, maintain financial records and supervise the collection of taxes, among other duties, according to the role’s job description. R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025 Dogs should be supervised when chewing on a bone, and larger breeds should get large ones to prevent swallowing; there are also plenty of chew toys that have a similar texture to bones, which could be a good alternative. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 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 2 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

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