supervisor

noun

su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
Synonyms of supervisornext
: one that supervises
especially : an administrative officer in charge of a business, government, or school unit or operation
supervisory
ˌsü-pər-ˈvī-zə-rē How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
-ˈvīz-rē
adjective

Synonyms of supervisor

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of supervisor in a Sentence

The supervisor fired him after he showed up at work drunk. If you have a problem, go to your supervisor.
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.
Hoffenberg has insinuated that fellow Democrat Chris Getty, the Lyons Township supervisor, improperly accessed the video and had a hand in leaking information about the footage to Gorman. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The supervisors voted unanimously to advance the moratorium, and the crowd erupted. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 Public works is also hiring for two positions, a traffic signal technician and a landfill supervisor. — Gabriel Brito, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Aug. 2026 Cerón suggested the dishes be tossed out, according to the complaint, but a supervisor told her they were needed for an upcoming flight. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supervisor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from supervidēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supervisor was in the 15th century

Rhymes for supervisor

See All Rhymes for supervisor

Browse Nearby Words

supervision
supervisor
supervisor district
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supervisor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supervisor. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

supervisor

noun
su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
: a person who supervises
especially : an officer in charge of a unit or an operation of a business, government, or school
supervisory
ˌsü-pər-ˈvīz-(ə-)rē How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
adjective

Legal Definition

supervisor

noun
su·​per·​vi·​sor ˈsü-pər-ˌvī-zər How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
: one that directs or oversees a person, group, department, organization, or operation
specifically : the popularly elected chief administrative official of a township or other subdivision in some states of the U.S.
supervisorial
ˌsü-pər-ˌvī-ˈzōr-ē-əl
adjective
supervisory
ˌsü-pər-ˈvī-zə-rē How to pronounce supervisor (audio)
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All