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View synonyms for

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

/ ˈːəˌɪə /

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
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܱˌǰ󾱱, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • p·ȴǰ·󾱱 noun
  • ·p·ȴǰ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of supervisor1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

Asked whether they were threatening political repercussions for the supervisors, county unions demurred.

From

“Nothing the supervisors did in the eight years I was there could be claimed in any way to favor the slowing down of permits. Nothing,” Kuehl said.

From

The 22-member board is made up of all five county supervisors, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Raman, elected officials from several cities and nonprofit leaders.

From

But in late September, Miller did something that surprised everyone: He walked into his ܱǰ’s office and told on himself.

From

Tami Wilson, a former supervisor at the camp, told him she recalled being given the hand-drawn card by a youth, he wrote in a court filing.

From

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More About Supervisor

doessupervisor 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 ܱǰ’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.

Where doessupervisor come from?

The first records of the word supervisor come from the 1400s. Its base word, supervise, ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin verb ܱŧ, meaning “to oversee.” In fact, the word supervise quite literally means the same thing as oversee—the prefix super- means “over” or “above,” and the Latin verb ŧ means “to see” (the English word vision is based on the same root).

Sometimes, supervisors literally watch from above—like a supervisor supervising their employees from an office above the factory floor. In most cases, though, a supervisor simply closely oversees projects and the people working on them to make sure everything is proceeding as planned and that everyone is doing what they should be. A supervisor is often considered a boss, but supervisors almost always have bosses themselves. A supervisor is often a person who used to do the same job they are supervising.

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to supervisor?

are some synonyms for supervisor?

are some words that share a root or word element with supervisor?

are some words that often get used in discussing supervisor?

How issupervisor used in real life?

Supervisor is most commonly used in the context of the workplace.

Try usingsupervisor!

Which of the following things should a person NOT do if they’re a supervisor?

A. watch over
B. provide guidance
C. keep an eye on things
D. ignore the situation

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