supervisor

[soo-per-vahy-zer]

noun

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

2. 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.

3. (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.

supervisor

/ ˈsuːpəˌvaɪzə /

noun

1. a person who manages or supervises

2. a foreman or forewoman

3. (in some British universities) a tutor supervising the work, esp research work, of a student

4. (in some US schools) an administrator running a department of teachers

5. (in some US states) the elected chief official of a township or other subdivision of a county

6. obsolete,  a spectator

Other Word Forms

• supervisorship noun
• presupervisor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supervisor¹

1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin supervīsor, equivalent to supervid-, stem of supervidēre to supervise + -tor -tor, with dt > s

Example Sentences

Enforcement at the local level is the responsibility of 55 county agricultural commissioners, who are appointed by their boards of supervisors and have a dual role of promoting agriculture and enforcing state pesticide safety laws.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Shortly after The Times’ investigation, the county supervisors voted to launch their own inquiry into possible misconduct by “legal representatives” involved in the lawsuits.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Maltinsky’s supervisor and another official had said the flag was allowed, according to the suit.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Once upon a time she had been a shift supervisor at Super Saver, and she’d only needed one job.

Read more on Literature

“They definitely don’t talk to a supervisor if something is going wrong,” Popple says, since they are worried about being compared with better-performing colleagues.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• administrator 
• chief 
• chieftain 
• director 
• employer 
• executive 
• leader 
• owner 

When To Use

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.