superintendent
Americannoun
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a person who oversees or directs some work, enterprise, establishment, organization, district, etc.; supervisor.
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a person who is in charge of maintenance and repairs of an apartment house; custodian.
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a high-ranking police officer, especially a chief of police or an officer ranking next above an inspector.
adjective
noun
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a person who directs and manages an organization, office, etc
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(in Britain) a senior police officer higher in rank than an inspector but lower than a chief superintendent
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(in the US) the head of a police department
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a caretaker, esp of a block of apartments
adjective
Etymology
Origin of superintendent
1545–55; < Medieval Latin superintendent- (stem of superintendēns ), present participle of superintendere to superintend; see -ent
Explanation
A superintendent is the overseer of an organization. The term superintendent is most often used to refer to someone who oversees a school district and — most importantly — decides when to declare a snow day. A superintendent is also the caretaker for a building, like an apartment complex. The superintendent is the person to call with maintenance issues, such as a broken lock or clogged toilet. Used in this sense, the word is often shortened to "super." A superintendent was originally a church official who oversaw several churches in a district. The word comes from the Latin superintendere, which means to oversee.
Vocabulary lists containing superintendent
Like A Boss: Words for the Person in Charge
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Power Prefix: super-
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Nothing But the Truth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nichols credited then-LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner with granting autonomy to principals in the district.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
But on Feb. 13, the FBI told BCA investigators that it won’t share investigative materials in the Pretti case, BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen condemned the incident and the danger her officers were put in.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho cited enrollment declines and the pandemic-era hiring of 6,000 employees using onetime cash infusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Amoskeag Superintendent of Schools Nelson Bushnell said the Parrish family’s loss was “heartbreaking”.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
