oversee
Americanverb (used with object)
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oversees,
present (3rd person singular)
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oversaw,
past
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overseen,
past participle
-
overseeing
present participle
-
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.
verb
-
to watch over and direct; supervise
-
to watch secretly or accidentally
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overseesimple
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overseessimple
-
have overseenperfect
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has overseenperfect
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am overseeingprogressive
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are overseeingprogressive
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is overseeingprogressive
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have been overseeingperfect progressive
-
has been overseeingperfect progressive
Past
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oversawsimple
-
had overseenperfect
-
was overseeingprogressive
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were overseeingprogressive
-
had been overseeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oversee
First recorded before 900; Middle English overseen, Old English ofersēon; equivalent to over- + see 1
Explanation
To oversee is to supervise or watch over, the way a principal oversees a school or a store manager oversees everyone who works there. This verb comes from the Old English oferseon, to "look down upon," which is also how oversee was originally used. You can say, "From this hill I oversee the whole town," but today it's much more common for oversee to mean supervise. If your Spanish club puts you in charge of the bake sale, you'll oversee everything: pricing the brownies, arranging cookies on a table, and reminding volunteers when to show up.
Vocabulary lists containing oversee
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.
See Examples For:
It is hoped under combined authorities, mayor and deputy mayors would also oversee things like the police and fire services - but currently Swindon's services operate in Wiltshire.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Skydance has said it will keep the Warner Bros. and Paramount studios distinct, though Paramount Pictures chiefs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein are expected to oversee both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
He was selected to oversee what remained of the Morale Branch’s library program, which had grown largely stagnant since the mid-1920s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The office will also oversee the Armed Forces Chaplains Board and advocate for funding for religious programs across the military.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Two priests on bicycles also arrived to bless the mortal remains of Pedro Garcia and oversee the funeral rites.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Cobb County Police Department detectives and the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office, which oversees amusement parks in the state, are investigating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The commission, which oversees voting in the world's most populous nation, has denied any wrongdoing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Election Commission of India, which oversees the voting process in the world's most populous nation, has denied wrongdoing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
SpaceX executive Lauren Dreyer, who oversees Starlink's business operations, said the company had spent years working with Indian regulators and had built security controls into its network to meet the country's requirements.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
He works at it, oversees his herd and adds to it.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Philbin oversaw a two-decade,$90-million renovation by Michael Maltzan Architecture that increased gallery space by 60% and added an outdoor sculpture terrace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
More than a decade ago, Cuomo’s administration oversaw the rollout of the BitLicense, a regulatory framework for digital-currency businesses to register in the state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Bassam al-Hassan, who oversaw Syria's chemical weapons programme and was a senior adviser to former President Bashar al-Assad, is being harboured in Lebanon following the Assad regime's collapse in 2024.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
He oversaw the New York Times’s successful transformation into a dominant digital news product during his run as president and chief executive from 2012 to 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I noticed Sitaram, who oversaw the orangutans, my favourite keeper.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Metrolink is operated by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, overseen by members from multiple transit authorities including those of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
In his third term he has overseen a drop in inflation and unemployment, but voters complain about a high cost of living and are fed up with crime.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The vehicle authority, overseen by a governor-appointed board that includes Laredo’s police chief, Miguel Rodriguez, had completely covered Laredo’s installation costs for its 165 cameras, according to a police department spokesperson.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The team tournament pits Europe - captained by Yannick Noah - against a United States team overseen by Andre Agassi.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
We ran through drills overseen by my trainer, Cornell, and several baby-faced naval staffers who called us all “ma’am.”
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
At the time the 1736 FCC paid for these additional benefits, Adelkoff was already earning one of the highest base salaries among nonprofit executives overseeing homelessness programs in the L.A. area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Hanju Kim, an integrated M.S./Ph.D. student, participated as a co-author, with Professor Ryu overseeing the research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
The government entity overseeing the investigation didn’t comment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He was in charge of the building site and overseeing the work of subcontractors.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Emily supposed that she herself should be overseeing this bathtime.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
