superintendent

American  

[soo-per-in-ten-duhnt, soo-prin-] / ˌsu pər ɪnˈtɛn dənt, ˌsu prɪn- /

noun

1. a person who oversees or directs some work, enterprise, establishment, organization, district, etc.; supervisor.

2. a person who is in charge of maintenance and repairs of an apartment house; custodian.

3. a high-ranking police officer, especially a chief of police or an officer ranking next above an inspector.

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adjective

1. superintending.

superintendent British  

/ ˌsuːpərɪnˈtɛndənt, ˌsuːprɪn- /

noun

1. a person who directs and manages an organization, office, etc

2. (in Britain) a senior police officer higher in rank than an inspector but lower than a chief superintendent

3. (in the US) the head of a police department

4. a caretaker, esp of a block of apartments

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adjective

1. of or relating to supervision; superintending

Etymology

Origin of superintendent

1545–55; < Medieval Latin superintendent- (stem of superintendēns ), present participle of superintendere to superintend; -ent

Example Sentences

Kerr, a successful consultant to companies seeking work with school districts, has long ties to Carvalho, going back to his time as superintendent in Miami.

From Los Angeles Times

"David could be a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character," said John Duff, a local councillor and former police superintendent, who was born and grew up in Aberfeldy.

From BBC

The next day, Yosemite’s acting superintendent signed a ban on visitors hanging banners or flags larger than 15 square feet throughout the park.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pressed by parents to act, school superintendents have come down on opposing sides.

From The Wall Street Journal

His mother, Adaina Brown, a public school assistant superintendent in the Los Angeles area, said she called it a “gamble,” but it was one that paid off.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• administrator
• chief
• controller
• curator
• custodian
• director
• inspector
• manager
• supervisor