superintendent
Americannoun
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a person who oversees or directs some work, enterprise, establishment, organization, district, etc.; supervisor.
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a person who is in charge of maintenance and repairs of an apartment house; custodian.
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a high-ranking police officer, especially a chief of police or an officer ranking next above an inspector.
adjective
noun
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a person who directs and manages an organization, office, etc
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(in Britain) a senior police officer higher in rank than an inspector but lower than a chief superintendent
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(in the US) the head of a police department
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a caretaker, esp of a block of apartments
adjective
Etymology
Origin of superintendent
1545–55; < Medieval Latin superintendent- (stem of superintendēns ), present participle of superintendere to superintend; -ent
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.
He said it was only when he was arrested that he discovered that Wai was no longer a police officer, and was now a Border Force officer - and that his superintendent ID was fake.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
Thurmond, the superintendent, called on the public to lobby Congress and the Trump administration “to return Joseph so he can continue his studies.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
"Sorry to press you on this superintendent but you would have expected a call to be made," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
A superintendent assigned to the case gives George free rein to pursue his theories.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
On August 17, almost two months after the first round of arrests, the police superintendent again warned Alice Paul that there would be another round of arrests if the protests continued.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
