supervise
Americanverb (used with object)
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supervises,
present (3rd person singular)
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supervised,
past participle, past
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supervising
present participle
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
Derived Forms
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supervisionnoun
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presuperviseverb (used with object)
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nonsupervisingadjective
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quasi-supervisedadjective
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unsupervisedadjective
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well-supervisedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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supervisesimple
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supervisessimple
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have supervisedperfect
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has supervisedperfect
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am supervisingprogressive
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are supervisingprogressive
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is supervisingprogressive
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have been supervisingperfect progressive
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has been supervisingperfect progressive
Past
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supervisedsimple
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had supervisedperfect
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was supervisingprogressive
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were supervisingprogressive
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had been supervisingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see also wit 2
Explanation
If your mother asks you to supervise your little brother and his friends, it means she'd like you to keep an eye on them. The verb supervise has origins in the Latin word supervidere, from super-, meaning “over” and videre, meaning “to see.” When you supervise something, it means you oversee the project, managing the people working on it, perhaps by figuring out what needs to be done, assigning the work, and making sure it gets done properly. You serve as the boss when you supervise; other people are the workers.
Vocabulary lists containing supervise
Power Prefix: super-
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Common Senses: Vid, Vis ("See")
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A Résumé of Active Words
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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.
See Examples For:
State officials do not supervise the agricultural commissioners, who are appointed by and report to their elected boards of supervisors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Managing the risk is possible, Lahav said, but the more capable these systems get, the harder they are to supervise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Students either catalog recovered artifacts, most of which are ceramics, or "broken pots," as Anderson described them, or supervise excavation trenches.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
The front-line workers are overseen by behavior analysts, more highly trained professionals who often have master’s degrees and licenses and can supervise multiple technicians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Luma said she would always supervise; the team would supply its own equipment; the program would be insured; the players were all local.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
And there are signs of friction between the high court and the lower courts it supervises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The key element is making sure that a physician supervises your visits and is available in person when needed by you or the associate.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
First To Serve, the nonprofit that supervises the hotel, did not respond to inquiries from The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
He also supervises the Guardian Council, which has the power to vet electoral candidates and veto parliamentary legislation.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
The captain personally supervises the return of my brain to my head.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Malcolm will be supervised by the authorities for three years following his release from custody.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
But then on Thursday, a felony arrest warrant was filed for Shrine for alleged violation of post-release community supervision, a type of supervised release similar to parole, in Contra Costa County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The aviation company said Friday the aircraft flew 3,199 miles with no control inputs from its onboard safety pilot, including autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise and landing, which were supervised remotely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
While the company and its CEO had made optimistic predictions of growth, Tesla offers its robotaxi service in just six cities across Texas and Florida, along with supervised trips in San Francisco.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
We demanded to be taken to work like the other prisoners, and this was soon granted, but we were taken out alone, supervised by Kleyrihans.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
On the day we visited, Olena was busy ferrying supplies to the house and supervising the installation of a new door.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
He spent 19 years at the Compton Courthouse, where for a time he served as deputy in charge, supervising misdemeanor trial deputies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Meta also uses various signals to determine whether the person supervising a teen account—and thereby able to turn off key restrictions, such as the time limits—is actually the teen’s parent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The national government has already launched an investigation, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly personally supervising the process.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
She’s at the other table, reading a romance novel and supervising.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
