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Showing results for superintendent. Search instead for super-intendent.
Synonyms

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.

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

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to supervision; superintending

"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

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.

Yuen told the jury that he retired as a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police Force at the age of 55, and moved to the UK to join his wife and children immediately.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

A superintendent assigned to the case gives George free rein to pursue his theories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

After being arrested at Kwong's home on 1 May, Wai allegedly had his warrant card as a City of London special police officer and a second - fake - card identifying him as a superintendent.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

On Friday the board voted 7 to 0 to put Carvalho on indefinite leave and named senior administrator Andres Chait acting superintendent.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

The chairman of the school board, E. A. Stewart, and the superintendent of schools, J. A. Pickard, were waiting for them.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

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.