oversee

verb

over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē 

oversaw ˌō-vər-ˈsȯ  ; overseen ˌō-vər-ˈsēn  ; overseeing

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

Synonyms of oversee

• supervise
• manage
• operate
• regulate
• handle
• control
• conduct
• govern

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

Gaspin has overseen a big push for Netflix in terms of competition series and big IP titles such as the aforementioned The Golden Ticket, Monopoly and Clue. —Peter White, Deadline, 10 June 2026

That includes such weighty things as who is on the board of directors overseeing the CEO. —ABC News, 10 June 2026

Every year, the panel overseeing the trust fund for Social Security and Medicare publishes its annual financial report. —John W. Diamond, Washington Post, 10 June 2026

Tucking in for departure, DeeDee strikes up a flirtation with Cal (Brian Jordan Alvarez), Glamazonian’s hunky co-conductor, while Tess oversees the train’s A-list clientele. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for oversee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

oversee

verb

over·​see ˌō-vər-ˈsē 

oversaw -ˈsȯ  ; overseen -ˈsēn  ; overseeing

1

: to look down upon : survey

2

a

: to look over : examine

b

: superintend, supervise