supervise

verb

su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz How to pronounce supervise (audio)
supervised; supervising
Synonyms of supervise

transitive verb

: to be in charge of : superintend, oversee
supervise a large staff
supervised the ship's daily operations

Synonyms of supervise

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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.
While the system can accelerate, brake and steer, the human driver must supervise it at all times and remains responsible. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026 Frot-Coutaz also supervises Sky Studios Elstree, Sky’s state-of-the-art film and TV studio, plus Sky Studios’ global portfolio of production companies that includes Blast! — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 An engineer may have no human direct reports but still direct five agents, and a finance professional may supervise an agentic workflow. — Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 At least three employees supervised by Perera have filed bullying complaints with DIR’s Office of Equity and Risk. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for supervise

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Browse Nearby Words

supervisal
supervise
supervised study
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Cite this Entry

“Supervise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supervise. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

supervise

verb
su·​per·​vise ˈsü-pər-ˌvīz How to pronounce supervise (audio)
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

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