supervision
Americannoun
Usage
What does supervision mean? Supervision is the act of overseeing or watching over someone or something.Supervision is the noun form of the verb supervise, meaning to oversee or watch over. You can supervise a project, but most of the time supervision means supervising people, especially parents supervising their children or a manager or supervisor supervising their employees.Someone or something 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.Example: All children in this building must be under adult supervision.
Other Word Forms
- nonsupervision noun
- presupervision noun
- prosupervision adjective
Etymology
Origin of supervision
1615–25; < Medieval Latin supervīsiōn- (stem of supervīsiō ) oversight, equivalent to super- super- + vīsiōn- vision
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.
Barr also said Thursday that monetary policy must remain independent from political pressure and that supervision of individual banks must be kept free from political influence.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The lawsuit says the venue is responsible for premises liability and Lamb for negligent hiring and supervision.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
Fed officials making comments include vice chair for supervision Michelle Bowman appearing on Fox Business at 8:00 a.m.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
"Following the match, a check-up at the hospital under the supervision of our medical team revealed that our player had a fracture in his right forearm, and a cast was applied," Galatasaray said.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
She assumed that without her supervision, Zvezda had eaten most of it by now.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
