verb · 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsuː.pə.vaɪz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˈsu.pɚˌvaɪz/
Australian:/ˈsʉː.pə.vɑez/
New-Zealand:/ˈsʉː.pə.vaɪz/
New-Zealand:[ˈsʉː.pə.vɑe̯z]
CMU ARPABET:S UW1 P ER0 V AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To oversee or direct (a task or organization).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
Without someone to supervise them, the group will lack direction.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To oversee a task, organization, etc.; to provide supervision; to act as a supervisor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To look over so as to read; to peruse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
keep tabs on; keep an eye on; keep under surveillance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we are monitoring the air quality
the police monitor the suspect's moves
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: monitor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: observe
Narrower terms: spy, stag, snoop, sleuth
5
verb
Meaning 5
watch and direct
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Who is overseeing this project?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oversee, superintend, manage
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: administer, administrate
Narrower terms: build
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin supervisus, from supervidere, from Latin super + videre. Doublet of survey.
Across languages
Translations
32 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
mbikëqyr
— to oversee or direct
Bulgarian:
надзиравам
(nadziravam)
— to oversee or direct
Catalan:
supervisar
— to oversee or direct
Chinese Mandarin:
管制
(guǎnzhì)
— to oversee or direct
Czech:
dohlížet
— to oversee or direct
Czech:
dozírat
— to oversee or direct
Czech:
mít na starost
— to oversee or direct
Czech:
vést
— to oversee or direct
Dutch:
toezien
— to oversee or direct
Dutch:
besturen
— to oversee or direct
Dutch:
aansturen
— to oversee or direct
Finnish:
johtaa
— to oversee or direct
Finnish:
valvoa
— to oversee or direct
French:
superviser
— to oversee or direct
French:
encadrer
— to oversee or direct
German:
beaufsichtigen
— to oversee or direct
Gothic:
𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽
(faurastandan)
— to oversee or direct
Greek:
εποπτεύω
(epoptévo)
— to oversee or direct
Greek:
επιβλέπω
(epivlépo)
— to oversee or direct
White Hmong:
saib
— to oversee or direct
Hungarian:
felügyel
— to oversee or direct
Hungarian:
irányít
— to oversee or direct
Hungarian:
ellenőriz
— to oversee or direct
Portuguese:
supervisar
— to oversee or direct
Portuguese:
supervisionar
— to oversee or direct
Romanian:
superviza
— to oversee or direct
Russian:
заве́довать
(zavédovatʹ)
— to oversee or direct
Spanish:
supervisar
— to oversee or direct
Tày:
cai cuổn
— to oversee or direct
Telugu:
పర్యవేక్షించు
(paryavēkṣiñcu)
— to oversee or direct
Ukrainian:
наглядати
(nahljadaty)
— to oversee or direct
