noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈəʊvəˌsiːə(ɹ)/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:OW1 V ER0 S IY1 ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
One who oversees or supervises.
The manager of a plantation of slaves.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
One who oversees or supervises.
An officer responsible for the care of the poor, making out lists of voters and those who had not paid taxes, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A critic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A bishop.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Qualifier: Tyndale Bible; also puristic; Tyndale Bible; also puristic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a person who directs and manages an organization
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: superintendent
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: supervisor
Narrower terms: ramrod, school superintendent
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English oversee Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English overseer From oversee + -er.
Across languages
Translations
93 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُشْرِف
(mušrif)
— one who oversees
Arabic:
مُشْرِفَة
(mušrifa)
— one who oversees
Armenian:
հսկիչ
(hskičʻ)
— one who oversees
Armenian:
վերակացու
(verakacʻu)
— one who oversees
Azerbaijani:
nəzarətçi
— one who oversees
Belarusian:
нагля́дчык
(nahljádčyk)
— one who oversees
Belarusian:
нагля́дчыца
(nahljádčyca)
— one who oversees
Bulgarian:
надзира́тел
(nadzirátel)
— one who oversees
Bulgarian:
надзира́телка
(nadzirátelka)
— one who oversees
Chinese Mandarin:
監督者 /监督者
(jiāndūzhě)
— one who oversees
Chinese Mandarin:
監工 /监工
(jiāngōng)
— one who oversees
Czech:
dozorce
— one who oversees
Czech:
dozorkyně
— one who oversees
Danish:
opsynsmand
— one who oversees
Dutch:
opzichter
— one who oversees
Egyptian:
m-r:H_SPACE
(jmj-r)
— one who oversees
Estonian:
ülevaataja
— one who oversees
Finnish:
työnjohtaja
— one who oversees
Finnish:
valvoja
— one who oversees
French:
contremaître
— one who oversees
French:
chef
— one who oversees
Georgian:
ზედამხედველი
(zedamxedveli)
— one who oversees
German:
Aufseher
— one who oversees
German:
Aufseherin
— one who oversees
Greek:
επόπτης
(epóptis)
— one who oversees
Greek:
εργοδηγός
(ergodigós)
— one who oversees
Greek:
επιστάτης
(epistátis)
— one who oversees
Greek:
επιτηρητής
(epitiritís)
— one who oversees
Ancient Greek:
ἐπόπτης
(epóptēs)
— one who oversees
Ancient Greek:
ἔφορος
(éphoros)
— one who oversees
Ancient Greek:
ἐπίσκοπος
(epískopos)
— one who oversees
Hindi:
पर्यवेक्षक
(paryavekṣak)
— one who oversees
Hungarian:
felügyelő
— one who oversees
Hungarian:
munkafelügyelő
— one who oversees
Irish:
feighlí
— one who oversees
Irish:
maor
— one who oversees
Italian:
ispettore
— one who oversees
Italian:
capoccia
— one who oversees
Italian:
supervisore
— one who oversees
Italian:
organizzatore
— one who oversees
Italian:
curatore
— one who oversees
Japanese:
監督者
(kantokusha)
— one who oversees
Korean:
감독자
(gamdokja)
— one who oversees
Latin:
curator
— one who oversees
Latin:
curatrix
— one who oversees
Latin:
praefectus
— one who oversees
Latin:
praepositus
— one who oversees
Latvian:
uzraugs
— one who oversees
Lithuanian:
prižiūrėtojas
— one who oversees
Macedonian:
надгле́дувач
(nadgléduvač)
— one who oversees
Macedonian:
на́дзирач
(nádzirač)
— one who oversees
Macedonian:
на́дзорник
(nádzornik)
— one who oversees
Iranian Persian:
سَرْپَرَسْت
(sarparast)
— one who oversees
Iranian Persian:
ناظِر
(nâzer)
— one who oversees
Plautdietsch:
Äwasechta
— one who oversees
Polish:
nadzorca
— one who oversees
Polish:
nadzorczyni
— one who oversees
Portuguese:
feitor
— one who oversees
Romanian:
supervizor
— one who oversees
Russian:
надзира́тель
(nadzirátelʹ)
— one who oversees
Russian:
надзира́тельница
(nadzirátelʹnica)
— one who oversees
Russian:
надсмо́трщик
(nadsmótrščik)
— one who oversees
Russian:
надсмо́трщица
(nadsmótrščica)
— one who oversees
Serbo-Croatian:
на́дгледнӣк
— one who oversees
Serbo-Croatian:
на́дзо̄рнӣк
— one who oversees
Serbo-Croatian:
nádglednīk
— one who oversees
Serbo-Croatian:
nádzōrnīk
— one who oversees
Sikkimese:
སྐུལ་མཁན
(skul mkhan)
— one who oversees
Slovak:
dozorca
— one who oversees
Slovak:
dozorkyňa
— one who oversees
Slovene:
nadzornik
— one who oversees
Slovene:
nadzornica
— one who oversees
Spanish:
capataz
— one who oversees
Spanish:
sobrestante
— one who oversees
Spanish:
caporal
— one who oversees
Spanish:
caporalista
— one who oversees
Swahili:
msimamizi
— one who oversees
Swedish:
förman
— one who oversees
Tajik:
назоратчӣ
(nazoratči)
— one who oversees
Tajik:
нозир
(nozir)
— one who oversees
Tajik:
дидбон
(didbon)
— one who oversees
Thai:
ผู้ดูแล
(pûu-duu-lɛɛ)
— one who oversees
Thai:
ผู้ควบคุม
(pûu-kûuap-kum)
— one who oversees
Thai:
หัวหน้างาน
(hǔua-nâa-ngaan)
— one who oversees
Ukrainian:
нагляда́ч
(nahljadáč)
— one who oversees
Ukrainian:
нагля́дач
(nahljádač)
— one who oversees
Ukrainian:
нагляда́чка
(nahljadáčka)
— one who oversees
Ukrainian:
нагля́дачка
(nahljádačka)
— one who oversees