oversee
Americanverb (used with object)
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to direct (work or workers); supervise; manage.
He was hired to oversee the construction crews.
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to see or observe secretly or unintentionally.
We happened to oversee the burglar leaving the premises. He was overseen stealing the letters.
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to survey or watch, as from a higher position.
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to look over; examine; inspect.
verb
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to watch over and direct; supervise
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to watch secretly or accidentally
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overseesimple
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overseessimple
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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
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has been overseeingperfect progressive
Past
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oversawsimple
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had overseenperfect
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was overseeingprogressive
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were overseeingprogressive
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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:
Historically, it has been up to Congress to oversee monetary policy through a semiannual hearing mandated by law.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
The team also works to make sure the rescue workers have the tools, food, supplies and transportation while abroad, as well as oversee the trip back home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
It is the fourth time the daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori has sought the South American nation's presidency, promising this time to oversee a crackdown on organised crime.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Rutte is keen to get Trump -- known for his love of an eye-catching deal -- to personally oversee the business bonanza.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Food is rationed. She said the guards oversee the farm and the workers,” said Mother.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
The RSF controls most goldfields in Darfur and Kordofan - in the western and central areas of the country, while the Sudanese army oversees production in northern and eastern regions.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The park agency oversees commercial use of the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately comment.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
EAC also oversees the federal testing and certification program for voting systems, accrediting labs and certifying whether machines meet federal standards known as the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
On my left side is a man named Chian who organizes and oversees all Trials taken in Los Angeles.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
For more than two-and-a-half years he helped co-ordinate emergency food assistance, oversaw the establishment of camps for displaced families and worked to deliver aid to communities affected by repeated waves of displacement.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
After doubling down on this case, Blanche oversaw a highly dubious indictment that accused Abrego Garcia of human smuggling.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
A captain that oversaw that unit was later reassigned to run the custody services division, which runs the department’s jails.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
In 1950, he oversaw the invasion of South Korea, starting a war that would end in a stalemate with the North flattened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Killconey oversaw the lifting of the tower on to the bed of the cart.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Robbins, who previously ran Nickelodeon and has overseen hits such as “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “PAW Patrol,” launched Big Shot Pictures earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Many of his assets are held in a trust overseen by Donald Trump Jr. The president said Wednesday that he profited on his investment accounts in 2025 because stock markets rallied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Under the old system, the state superintendent has overseen grants while also interpreting state education law and making sure schools complied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
In the moments before the government unveiled its Defence Investment Plan, the two men who have overseen its progress shared a quiet moment in the House of Commons chamber.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
A nondescript postal collection depot overseen by the squat man in a frumpy suit.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The document envisioned some role for Iran in overseeing shipping in Hormuz.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The quake zone's ability to get back on its feet depends on the success of the state in overseeing recovery.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
When overseeing retirement accounts, employers have a fiduciary duty to make prudent decisions and put their workers’ interests first.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
When he began his campaign, the agency overseeing the safety of America’s roads specifically warned against edge lines, fearing they would confuse drivers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
In addition, Professor Oikonomou was named the official archaeologist of the project and assigned the task of overseeing the operation.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
