supervision
Americannoun
Usage
What does supervision mean? Supervision is the act of overseeing or watching over someone or something.Supervision is the noun form of the verb supervise, meaning to oversee or watch over. You can supervise a project, but most of the time supervision means supervising people, especially parents supervising their children or a manager or supervisor supervising their employees.Someone or something being supervised is said to be under supervision. When it’s used in the context of adults watching children, the word often appears in the phrases parental supervision and adult supervision. Children or other people who can’t be left alone are said to need constant supervision.Example: All children in this building must be under adult supervision.
Other Word Forms
- nonsupervision noun
- presupervision noun
- prosupervision adjective
Etymology
Origin of supervision
1615–25; < Medieval Latin supervīsiōn- (stem of supervīsiō ) oversight, equivalent to super- super- + vīsiōn- vision
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.
A mum who gave up work to care for her disabled daughter who needs constant supervision says unpaid carers feel "used" and have to "fight for everything".
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
The ECB took over banking supervision across the euro zone in 2014, setting a positive precedent for capital markets.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
“If you can shift the conversation from ‘How much did you make today?’ to ‘How long can you stay the course?’ you’re giving them something better than supervision.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
In his letters, Merkley said both KinderCare and Learning Care Group have been cited by multiple states for issues related to staff supervision and safety, while also receiving government subsidies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Now their school day would truly begin, for what could be more educashawoo—that is to say, educational—than free time and a lack of supervision?
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
