oversee

[oh-ver-see]

See more synonyms for oversee on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·saw, o·ver·seen, o·ver·see·ing.

to direct (work or workers); supervise; manage: He was hired to oversee the construction crews.
to see or observe secretly or unintentionally: We happened to oversee the burglar leaving the premises. He was overseen stealing the letters.
to survey or watch, as from a higher position.

to look over; examine; inspect.

Origin of oversee

before 900; Middle English overseen, Old English ofersēon. See over-, see¹

Can be confusedoverlook oversee oversight

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oversaw

Contemporary Examples

Two years ago in Michigan, she oversaw AFP operations to help the Republican-controlled legislature pass sweeping anti-union laws.
The Next Phase of the Koch Brothers’ War on Unions
Carl Deal and Tia Lessin
December 22, 2014
Umberto, who went by Albert, oversaw mob killings during his reign in the mid-1900s.
Brooklyn’s Gangster Graveyard
Nina Strochlic
October 23, 2014
Filed away within the annals of the New York Historical Society, it escaped the notice of those who oversaw the archives.
New York’s Century-Old Time Capsule Is a Dud
Justin Jones
October 8, 2014
He oversaw a brutal regime, aimed at instilling respect, deference and acceptance of duty into the princes.
Kate and William’s Royal Family Values
Tom Sykes
September 22, 2014
He implemented the program, oversaw it, and defended it, to say nothing of the secret prisons, which he also directed.
Time to Reopen the Case on CIA Torture
John Kiriakou
June 3, 2014

Historical Examples

The younger Vestals, whose attendance on the sacred fire and care of the Temple she oversaw, wondered at her exacting petulance.
A Friend of Caesar
William Stearns Davis
Mr. Templeton had two children—a son who was with Price, and a daughter who oversaw the household, the mother being dead.
The Courier of the Ozarks
Byron A. Dunn
This was no slight aid to her, and leaving the management of the helm to him, she oversaw the management of the piece herself.
Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain
Maturin Murray Ballou
Austin was at home in the morning and evening and oversaw their work, helping with the heavier part.
The Hero of Hill House
Mable Hale

British Dictionary definitions for oversaw

oversee

verb -sees, -seeing, -saw or -seen (tr)

to watch over and direct; supervise
to watch secretly or accidentally

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for oversaw

oversee

v.

Old English oferseon "to look down upon, keep watch over, survey, observe;" see over + see (v.). Meaning "to supervise" is attested from mid-15c. The verb lacks the double sense of similar overlook, but this emerges in the noun form oversight. Related: Oversaw; overseen.

oversee

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Examples from the Web for oversaw

Contemporary Examples

Two years ago in Michigan, she oversaw AFP operations to help the Republican-controlled legislature pass sweeping anti-union laws.

Umberto, who went by Albert, oversaw mob killings during his reign in the mid-1900s.

Filed away within the annals of the New York Historical Society, it escaped the notice of those who oversaw the archives.

He oversaw a brutal regime, aimed at instilling respect, deference and acceptance of duty into the princes.

He implemented the program, oversaw it, and defended it, to say nothing of the secret prisons, which he also directed.

Historical Examples

The younger Vestals, whose attendance on the sacred fire and care of the Temple she oversaw, wondered at her exacting petulance.

Mr. Templeton had two children—a son who was with Price, and a daughter who oversaw the household, the mother being dead.

This was no slight aid to her, and leaving the management of the helm to him, she oversaw the management of the piece herself.

Austin was at home in the morning and evening and oversaw their work, helping with the heavier part.

oversee

Word Origin and History for oversaw

oversee

v.

Origin of oversee