supervision

noun

ˌsü-pər-ˈvi-zhən How to pronounce supervision (audio)
Definition of supervisionnext
1
as in oversight
the duty or function of watching or guarding for the sake of proper direction or control one of your responsibilities will be the supervision of all fund-raising activities for the club

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in management
the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something one of the senior editors took over supervision of the project while the editor-in-chief was on maternity leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of supervision The musical features a book by Jenna Clark Embrey and Molly Beach Murphy, which music and lyrics by Train, choreography by David Neumann, direction by Lorin Latarro and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Brian Usifer. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 The show also scored nominations for production design, casting, directing, cinematography, picture editing, music composition, music supervision, sound editing, sound mixing and writing. — Peter White, Deadline, 8 July 2026 The certification simply has to articulate clearly why supervision is needed and the degree to which the individual depends on others for protection, not merely for convenience or preference. — James Lange, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for supervision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supervision
  1. oversight
  2. management
  3. stewardship
  4. control
  5. guidance
  6. operation
  7. superintendence
  8. administration
Noun
  • To summarize, physical AI governance is an extension of operational and safety governance, and the boards best positioned are ones that import high-reliability-organization oversight practices rather than scaling up their AI ethics frameworks.
    — Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Kill switches are not magic off buttons and do not replace careful regulation, physical containment or public oversight.
    — Tara Deans, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of oversight
Noun
  • Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sent regulatory priorities to the nation’s regional fishery councils, which environmentalists say reveal a direct attack on fishery management and ocean conservation.
    — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • This necessitates a fundamental shift in corporate risk management.
    — Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of management
Noun
  • However, any consideration of a project of this magnitude must be approached with careful analysis and responsible stewardship of public resources.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • Katherine Melchior Ray, author of Brand Global, Adapt Local, on why control is the wrong mental model and stewardship the right one.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of stewardship
Noun
  • Iran insists on retaining control over shipping through the waterway and says vessels should instead use routes through its own territorial waters.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • Researchers, gardening experts and horticulturists offered some guidance on the handling, recultivation and cleanup that can keep you and your garden in good health.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • For a safer outdoor work environment, follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s guidance by scheduling regular rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned places.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of guidance
Noun
  • More of the value shifts into material preparation, machine operation, quality control, tooling and process expertise.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
  • Residents of al-Shujaiya told NPR that aid operations have been halted in their neighborhood since March, and ambulances need Israeli permission to enter.
    — Aya Batrawy, NPR, 10 July 2026
Definition of operation
Noun
  • Their huge fortunes are the legitimate wages of superintendence; in the struggle for existence, money is the token of success.
    — Jeffery Vacante, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025
  • The era of progressive superintendence ironically began with the spread of disinformation, Buzzfeed’s release of the infamous Trump dossier.
    — The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2022
Definition of superintendence
Noun
  • González has witnessed the ties between Mexico and its emigrants abroad evolve over four decades, starting as a young consular officer in the administration of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.
    — Alfredo Corchado, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called out the administration of former Mayor Eric Adams for the uproar over a city immigrant-neighborhood map that left out Italian, Irish, and Jewish communities.
    — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 10 July 2026
Definition of administration

Browse Nearby Words

supervising
supervision
supervisions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supervision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supervision. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on supervision

Nglish: Translation of supervision for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All