supervisor
Americannoun
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a person who supervises workers or the work done by others; superintendent.
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Education. an official responsible for assisting teachers in the preparation of syllabuses, in devising teaching methods, etc., in a department of instruction, especially in public schools.
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(in some U.S. states) the chief elected administrative officer of a township, who is often also a member of the governing board of the county.
noun
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a person who manages or supervises
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a foreman or forewoman
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(in some British universities) a tutor supervising the work, esp research work, of a student
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(in some US schools) an administrator running a department of teachers
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(in some US states) the elected chief official of a township or other subdivision of a county
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obsolete a spectator
Usage
What does supervisor mean? A supervisor is someone who oversees and provides direction for someone or something.More simply, a supervisor is someone who supervises. It’s most commonly used in the context of the workplace to refer to a type of manager who supervises other employees.The adjective supervisory describes things that involve supervision. A supervisor’s role can be described as supervisory.Supervisor can be used more specifically in the context of education to refer to a type of official or tutor or in the context of government to refer to a type of elected local official who serves on a board with other supervisors.Example: The key to being a good supervisor is to give your employees enough space to do their jobs, instead of constantly standing over their shoulders.
Other Word Forms
- presupervisor noun
- supervisorship noun
Etymology
Origin of supervisor
1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin supervīsor, equivalent to supervid-, stem of supervidēre to supervise + -tor -tor, with dt > s
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.
To understand those consequences, we asked pairs of interviewees—employees and their direct supervisors—about their use of generative AI tools, ranging from content creation and legal research to data analysis.
From Barron's
Years ago, Angeles National Forest supervisor Michael J. Rogers pointed out what anyone who has spent time there knows too well.
From Los Angeles Times
The Department of Water Resources’ proposal is a way to finally protect water for the area’s residents, said Holly Irwin, a La Paz County supervisor who for years has pushed to address the problem.
From Los Angeles Times
After his convalescence, he said, his supervisor told him to take a dangerous road back to the Zabul base — a day’s drive for a journey commonly traveled by air.
From Los Angeles Times
“For extroverts, that shows up as visible energy and vocal enthusiasm,” Chief People Officer Amanda Poole recalls colleagues who represent the company’s “Valuably Quiet” program telling supervisors at one workshop.
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.
