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; see -ent
Explanation
A superintendent is the overseer of an organization. The term superintendent is most often used to refer to someone who oversees a school district and — most importantly — decides when to declare a snow day. A superintendent is also the caretaker for a building, like an apartment complex. The superintendent is the person to call with maintenance issues, such as a broken lock or clogged toilet. Used in this sense, the word is often shortened to "super." A superintendent was originally a church official who oversaw several churches in a district. The word comes from the Latin superintendere, which means to oversee.
Vocabulary lists containing superintendent
Like A Boss: Words for the Person in Charge
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Power Prefix: super-
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Nothing But the Truth
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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 a conversation with the superintendent, Darren Knowles, resulted in everyone playing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
In a memo, superintendent Jon Rysewyk explained that legal experts he consulted could not come to a consensus on whether the Tennessee law actually required the removal of Haley’s novel in the first place.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
Keven Morse, superintendent of East Lawn Cemetery, said he has seen deer, geese, hawks, foxes, coyotes, and countless bees during his family's 46 years helping manage the nonprofit cemetery.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
I already had a relationship with Columbia River as a yoga teacher, so I felt comfortable reaching out to the superintendent to propose it.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
“Oh, you’re going to get one, Patricia,” said the superintendent.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
