supervisory
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does supervisory mean? Supervisory is used to describe things that involve supervision, which is the act of overseeing, watching over, and providing direction for someone or something. Supervisory is an adjective form of the verb supervise, and it’s especially used in the phrases supervisory role and supervisory capacity, both of which refer to positions that involve supervision (or positions for which supervision is a responsibility). The word supervise often refers to supervising a project or people, parents supervising their children, or a manager or supervisor supervising their employees. Supervisory is most often used in the context of supervisors in the workplace or government agencies that conduct oversight. Example: I’ve been asked to come on in a supervisory capacity to oversee the project.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of supervisory
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.
Murray said there is uncertainty around what faculties or courses could be affected by job losses but that the students' union is particularly concerned for PhD students who rely on supervisory teams.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
But private credit is growing fast in the EU, and now bears watching, said Frank Elderson, the vice chair of the European Central Bank’s supervisory board, in an interview last month.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Keenan tried multiple times for supervisory positions in the U.S. attorney’s office, former prosecutors said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The executive is being investigated by Italian prosecutors in a case related to allegations of supervisory obstruction and market manipulation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
Most of the time, the work requires minimal human interaction, of either the collegial or the supervisory sort, largely because it’s so self-defining.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
