supervise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to direct or oversee the performance or operation of
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to watch over so as to maintain order, etc
Usage
What does supervise mean? Supervise means to oversee, watch over, and provide direction for someone or something.You can supervise a project or process as it’s happening, but most of the time the word refers to supervising people, especially parents supervising their children or a manager or supervisor supervising their employees.The noun form of supervise is supervision. Someone 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. When they are left alone, they’re said to be unsupervised.The adjective form supervisory describes things that involve supervision, such as in the phrases supervisory role and supervisory capacity. Example: The key to supervising your employees effectively is giving them enough space to do their jobs, instead of constantly standing over their shoulders.
Other Word Forms
- nonsupervising adjective
- presupervise verb (used with object)
- quasi-supervised adjective
- supervision noun
- unsupervised adjective
- well-supervised adjective
Etymology
Origin of supervise
First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin supervīsus “overseen,” past participle of supervidēre “to oversee,” from super- super- + vidēre “to see”; wit 2
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.
Several other executives have since been arrested and Vorcaro is on supervised release pending the outcome of the investigation.
From Barron's
An expert committee led by the museum's president Laurence des Cars had been selected to supervise the restoration.
From BBC
The social worker would supervise the visit, and tomorrow he would ask Etta’s forgiveness for not seeking permission.
From Literature
He supervised them briskly to unload things and take them into the master’s front room.
From Literature
That is, the plaintiff’s complaints about IRS failures and negligence pin the blame on officials who were supervised by that very plaintiff.
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.
