Supervision

/ˌsuːpərˈvɪʒən/

nounBeginnerCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The act of watching over someone or something; directing and controlling them.

/ˌsuːpərˈvɪʒən/

nounneutralBeginner
General

The act of supervising; the process of overseeing and controlling something.

The company requires strict supervision of all financial transactions.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a playground, and there's an adult watching to make sure everyone is safe and following the rules. That's supervision! It means keeping an eye on things.

👶 For kids: When someone is watching over you and making sure you're doing okay, that's supervision!

More Examples

2

The quality of the work improved under close supervision.

3

The children were left without adequate supervision, and a mishap occurred.

How It's Used

Business

"The project manager provided constant supervision to ensure the team met its deadlines."

Education

"Children require adult supervision during school field trips."

Idioms & expressions

under supervision

Being watched and directed by someone in authority.

"The intern worked under the supervision of a senior doctor."

direct supervision

When someone is watching you at all times.

"The prisoners were under direct supervision."

From Middle French *supervision*, from Late Latin *supervisionem*, from Latin *super* ('over') + *videre* ('to see').

The word 'supervision' has been used since the late 16th century, with its meaning evolving to cover a broader range of oversight activities.

Memory tip

Think of the 'vision' a supervisor has, always looking over the situation.

Word Origin

Root: super (over) + videre (to see)

supervisonsupervissionsupervisione

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written