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
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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
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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:
Sheriff’s deputies then help oversee the removal of encampments, and people who refuse to vacate after being offered services could be subject to arrest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The concept of creating an entity to oversee a news organization’s integrity isn’t new.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Healey has made it clear he will oversee "strong fiscal discipline" – which will limit how much the government has to spend.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Ann-Marie Campbell, the senior executive vice president of U.S. stores and operations, and Richard McPhail, chief financial officer, will oversee operations during his absence, Home Depot said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
One person, instead of a team, could oversee the operation, and far less heat would be needed, since the heat could be transferred from one pan to another.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
The secretary also oversees an office that receives a significant amount of inquiries and requests on a daily basis.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, had redirected 55 commercial ships, disabled two and boarded two to enforce the blockade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The federal agency that oversees the security of election systems was largely absent from planning before elections this month in several states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology oversees the preservation of the mummy and continuously monitors its condition.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
“That’s Amokye. She’s a guide. Some cultures know her as Charon. Others, the Grim Reaper. She knows when, how, and where everyone will die. She oversees the owuo.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Without evidence of a coordinated effort or plot, it didn’t make sense to put resources into such prosecutions, a former DOJ official who oversaw election cases said.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Okuda also oversaw the opening of Toyota factories abroad on the firm's way to overtaking General Motors as the world's largest automaker by vehicle sales.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
McDonald's assessment was echoed by Marc Polymeropoulos, a 26-year veteran of the CIA who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and oversaw clandestine missions around the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
As part of the bailout deal, the government orchestrated the exit of GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, oversaw the replacement of a majority of its board members and imposed compensation limits on its top executives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
For weeks Daddy oversaw the project while the house builders poured the concrete.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Fogel has spent more than 26 years at Booking Holdings and has overseen the acquisition of many of those brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Recent quarterly reports from funds overseen by the industry’s big players showed that loan health and investor returns are worsening, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The event is always overseen by the Hisbah - the city's Islamic police force - and one of their main tasks is to vet the couples wanting to wed.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Bondi told the House Oversight Committee in May that Blanche had overseen the process, which included delays in the release of files and major redaction issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The barons came for the auction of Osage leases, an event that was held about four times a year and that was overseen by the Department of the Interior.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
The CMS is overseeing more than 800,000 cases in England, Scotland and Wales, involving more than a million children.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Infantino had looked certain to be unopposed for a fourth term after overseeing a successful World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada until his plans were revealed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
He transitioned to a role overseeing special projects in the spring, The Wall Street Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Under O'Neil's popular predecessor Kieran McKenna, who stepped down on 10 June after overseeing three promotions in four full seasons, the Blues targeted players familiar with English football.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Your daughter is doing well here. I’ve been overseeing her training.”
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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.
