supervisor

noun

su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
: one that supervises
especially : an administrative officer in charge of a business, government, or school unit or operation
supervisory adjective

Examples of supervisor in a Sentence

The supervisor fired him after he showed up at work drunk. If you have a problem, go to your supervisor.
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.
Four supervisors and 36 staff members were working at the time of the escape, the sheriff’s office said. Rafael Romo, CNN Money, 18 May 2025 Continuity — Usually handled by the script supervisor or coordinator or an assistant director, this has to do with making sure each shot maintains consistency across set-ups, whether that’s the placement of a glass or a piece of hair skewing to the left or right of a performer’s face. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 17 May 2025 The jail is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said. Michael Dorgan , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025 Both millennials and Gen Z highly value feedback from supervisors. Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for supervisor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from supervidēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supervisor was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supervisor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supervisor. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

supervisor

noun
su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
: a person who supervises
especially : an officer in charge of a unit or an operation of a business, government, or school
supervisory adjective

Legal Definition

supervisor

noun
su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
: one that directs or oversees a person, group, department, organization, or operation
specifically : the popularly elected chief administrative official of a township or other subdivision in some states of the U.S.
supervisorial
ˌsü-pər-ˌvī-ˈzōr-ē-əl
adjective
supervisory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on supervisor

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