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

• 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

The official supervising Ghana’s effort to build its first nuclear plant admitted to Semafor last year that the country would miss its own 2030 deadline. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The focus is no longer on doing the process, but on designing, supervising and improving it. —Dutt Kalluri, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The city administrator is the city’s chief administrative officer, responsible for supervising all department heads and preparing the yearly budget for City Council approval, according to the city’s website. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Some research has suggested that certain fasting diets—when supervised by medical doctors—may help people manage type 2 diabetes. —Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025

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
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

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