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.
Golubski’s involvement The petition argues Golubski played a much larger role than simply supervising the homicide unit. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Swift paid the city $160,000 for the permit required for police to have supervise their July 3 wedding. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Tau's robots are operated remotely by human technicians who supervise the AI that controls them and who can step in if the devices get stuck on a particular task. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Nick Martin, a DOT supervising engineer and project manager for the bridge rehab, answered that the choices aren’t that simple. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on supervise

Nglish: Translation of supervise for Spanish Speakers

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