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

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.
Ali is overseeing a challenge to Mr. Trump's 90-day pause on foreign assistance brought by a group of nonprofits and businesses that receive foreign aid funding and argue the freeze is an unconstitutional exercise of presidential power. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025 Simone Swink will oversee all Good Morning America branded shows, a change as GMA and GMA3 had previously operated separately, with Cat McKenzie as EP of the spinoff show. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025 And are humans overseeing and auditing the results? Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025 Every year, states report information on child maltreatment to the federal Children’s Bureau, overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which get published in the annual Child Maltreatment report. Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025 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 11 Mar. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on oversee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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