Dictionary.com
definitions

supervisor

[soo-per-vahy-zer]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR supervisor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who supervises workers or the work done by others; superintendent.
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.
(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.

RELATED CONTENT

What word did you last look up, and why?
Recently we asked members of the Dictionary.com Facebook page a simple question: What was the last word you looked up, what was the specific issue you were trying to solve, and what were the circumstances? The results floored us. At last count, more than 450 people shared their stories. Here are a few examples: “Looked up “enure/inure” for supervisor as he was unsure of meaning and …
READ MORE
come to Jesus
Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

administrator, superintendent, custodian, executive, chief, boss, director, manager, overseer, inspector, curator, caretaker, head, super, foreperson, zookeeper

Origin of supervisor

1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin supervīsor, equivalent to supervid-, stem of supervidēre to supervise + -tor -tor, with dt > s
Related formssu·per·vi·sor·ship, nounpre·su·per·vi·sor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for supervisor

supervisor

noun

a person who manages or supervises
a foreman or forewoman
(in some British universities) a tutor supervising the work, esp research work, of a student
(in some US schools) an administrator running a department of teachers
(in some US states) the elected chief official of a township or other subdivision of a county
obsolete a spectator
Derived Formssupervisorship, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for supervisor
n.

"one who inspects and directs the work of others," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin supervisor, agent noun from supervidere (see supervise).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper