supervise

[soo-per-vahyz]

verb (used with object)

supervised, supervising 

1. to oversee (a process, work, workers, etc.) during execution or performance; superintend; have the oversight and direction of.

   Synonyms: guide, control, direct, manage

supervise

/ ˌsuːpəˈvɪʒən, ˈsuːpəˌvaɪz /

verb

1. to direct or oversee the performance or operation of

2. to watch over so as to maintain order, etc

Other Word Forms

• supervision noun
• nonsupervising adjective
• presupervise verb (used with object)
• quasi-supervised adjective
• unsupervised adjective
• well-supervised adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of supervise¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin supervīsus “overseen,” past participle of supervidēre “to oversee,” from super- super- + vidēre “to see”; wit ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of supervise¹

C16: from Medieval Latin supervidēre, from Latin _super- + vidēre to see

Example Sentences

The administration has not indicated whether Santos’s restitution or supervised release conditions were waived, though the commutation ends his prison term.

Read more on Salon

This, they added, was because their "existing safety and soundness standards require all supervised institutions to have effective risk management."

Read more on Barron's

“But they don’t have a compelling or strong response to Bill Essayli is legitimately in the office and he can be the first assistant ... he can supervise other people in the office.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For something like “Game Changer,” which Dropout’s supervising producer Ebony Elaine Hardin describes as “self-contained chaos,” the show is in constant development.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Non-citizens in the US without a visa or similar documentation have always been subject to removal, said Triciah Claxton, supervising attorney with Safe Passage, an immigration rights group focused on minors.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• administer 
• conduct 
• deal with 
• direct 
• handle 
• inspect 
• look after 
• oversee 
• take care of 

When To Use

What does supervise mean?

Supervise means to oversee, watch over, and provide direction for someone or something.You can supervise a project or process as it’s happening, but most of the time the word refers to supervising people, especially parents supervising their children or a manager or supervisor supervising their employees.The noun form of supervise is supervision. Someone being supervised is said to be under supervision. When it’s used in the context of adults watching children, the word often appears in the phrases parental supervision and adult supervision. Children or other people who can’t be left alone are said to need constant supervision. When they are left alone, they’re said to be unsupervised.The adjective form supervisory describes things that involve supervision, such as in the phrases supervisory role and supervisory capacity. Example: The key to supervising your employees effectively is giving them enough space to do their jobs, instead of constantly standing over their shoulders.