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

Muscle Distribution has announced plans to release the 2019 4K restoration, which was conducted by Criterion and supervised by May herself, beginning with a Film at Lincoln Center engagement in June before national expansion follows. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026

In a March 25 court filing, federal prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 180 months, or 15 years, followed by three years’ supervised release. —Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026

That includes ethical duties to verify information and supervise tools-AI included. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

Some of the girl’s recent public appearances included her driving a tank during army training supervised by her father and the pair firing pistols during a visit to a light munitions factory. —Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 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
• 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