oversee

verb

over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē How to pronounce oversee (audio)
oversaw ˌō-vər-ˈsȯ How to pronounce oversee (audio) ; overseen ˌō-vər-ˈsēn How to pronounce oversee (audio) ; overseeing
Synonyms of overseenext

transitive verb

1
: survey, watch
From his hilltop home he can oversee the river below.
2
a
: inspect, examine
oversees all new machinery
b
: to watch over and direct (an undertaking, a group of workers, etc.) in order to ensure a satisfactory outcome or performance : supervise
was hired to oversee the design and construction of the new library
oversaw 20 employees

Examples of oversee in a Sentence

He was hired to oversee design and construction of the new facility. will oversee the new manufacturing division
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That reality makes a bad deal worse in a season that would bring 23 league games to oversee instead of 19, but West Ham, whose finances are about to dramatically contract, will again see a benefit. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 21 May 2026 As defense minister, Raúl Castro oversaw Cuba's overseas ​military interventions, particularly in Africa, including Angola. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 21 May 2026 Having overseen the game tent for many years, Cornelius knew just the thing to say in order to goad the customers into buying tickets. Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 Her view echoes a recent Deloitte report on AI governance, which found while most firms have dedicated risk management experts, boards still lack the AI fluency needed to oversee the threats the technology poses to their organizations. Jake Angelo, Fortune, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for oversee

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oversee was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oversee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversee. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

oversee

verb
over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē How to pronounce oversee (audio)
oversaw -ˈsȯ How to pronounce oversee (audio) ; overseen -ˈsēn How to pronounce oversee (audio) ; overseeing
1
: to look down upon : survey
2
a
: to look over : examine

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