oversee

[ oh-ver-see ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈsi /

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.

Nearby words

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for oversee

But there is no comparable official to oversee efforts for freeing civilian hostages.
Did U.S. Policy Get Luke Somers Killed?|Shane Harris|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some factories do not employ Muslims on the premises who can oversee the process, Nana said.
Inside The Growing Organic Halal Movement|Sharon Adarlo|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Russia was considering sending a group of observers to oversee the May 11 referendum, Russian news reported on Tuesday.
A Putin Climb-Down on Ukraine?|Igor Kossov|May 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It also wants an unelected royal commission be appointed to oversee and implement such measures.
Thailand: Into the Void|Lennox Samuels|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Obamacare is just one example of the risks facing politicians who oversee major tech projects.
Even the Most Powerful Man in the World Is at the Mercy of the IT Guy|Jill Lawrence|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I guess it was because there weren't any more Ruths around there to oversee the job.
One Way Out|William Carleton
Each member of the family had his especial duty to perform, his particular bundles to oversee.
McTeague|Frank Norris
If you were to oversee that department, I think there would be a change greatly for the better.
Hubert's Wife|Minnie Mary Lee
He was obliged to oversee the work as a whole, including young ministers, until it became thoroughly established.
The Last Reformation|F. G. [Frederick George] Smith
She hired old man John Akins to oversee de plantation, and she evermore did oversee him and de plantation too.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States|Work Projects Administration

British Dictionary definitions for oversee

oversee

/ (ˌəʊvəˈsiː) /

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 oversee

oversee

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

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

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Nearby words

Origin of oversee

Examples from the Web for oversee

British Dictionary definitions for oversee

oversee

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

Word Origin and History for oversee

oversee