oversee

English

Etymology

From Middle English overseen, ouverseen, from Old English ofersēon (“to observe, oversee; to overlook, neglect”), equivalent to over- +‎ see.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /əʊvə(ɹ)siː/
- Audio (UK) (file)
Hyphenation: over‧see
Rhymes: -iː
Homophone: oversea

Verb

oversee (third-person singular simple present oversees, present participle overseeing, simple past oversaw, past participle overseen) (transitive)

(literally) To survey, look at something in a wide angle.
(figuratively) To supervise, guide, review or direct the actions of a person or group.
Synonym: superintend
It is congress's duty to oversee the spending of federal funds.
- 2022 February 9, Tom Allett, “The BTP's eyes and ears in the air”, in RAIL, number 950, page 50:
  Based at BTP's London headquarters, Russell's team of three full-timers in the drone unit are responsible for overseeing the safety of drones in support of police officers.
To inspect, examine
Gamekeepers oversee a hunting ground to see to the wildlife's welfare and look for poachers.
(obsolete) To fail to see; to overlook, ignore.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:
  Thereat the Elfe did blush in priuitee, / And turnd his face away; but she the same / Dissembled faire, and faynd to ouersee.
To observe secretly or unintentionally.

Derived terms

overseer
oversight

Related terms

overhear

Translations

to survey, look at something in a wide angle

Bulgarian: преглеждам (bg) (pregleždam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 调查 (zh)
Dutch: overzien (nl), overschouwen (nl)
Finnish: katsoa (fi), valvoa (fi)
German: überblicken (de)
Italian: sondare (it)
Polish: przeglądać (pl) impf, przejrzeć (pl) pf
Portuguese: sondar (pt)
Russian: обозревать (ru) (obozrevatʹ)
Turkish: bakmak (tr), gözetmek (tr), izlemek (tr), gözetim altında tutmak

to supervise, guide, review or direct the actions of a person or group

Albanian: mbikëqyr (sq)
Arabic: أَشْرَفَ عَلَى‎ (ar) (ʾašrafa ʿalā)
Bulgarian: надзиравам (bg) (nadziravam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 監督／监督 (zh), 指导 (zh)
Dutch: toezien op, toezicht houden op, een oog(je) houden op
Finnish: valvoa (fi), johtaa (fi)
French: superviser (fr)
German: beaufsichtigen (de), überwachen (de), leiten (de), managen (de)
Greek:
Ancient: ἐφοράω (ephoráō)
Italian: supervisionare
Middle English: surveyen
Polish: nadzorować (pl) impf, doglądać (pl) impf
Portuguese: supervisionar (pt)
Spanish: supervisar (es)
Tocharian B: yärp-
Tok Pisin: bosim
Turkish: idare etmek (tr), yönetmek (tr)
Ukrainian: наглядати (nahljadaty)

to inspect, examine

Chinese:
Mandarin: 检查 (zh)
Dutch: bekijken (nl), toezien op
Finnish: tarkastella (fi), katsoa (fi), tutkia (fi)
German: beaufsichtigen (de), überwachen (de)
Italian: esaminare (it), ispezionare (it)
Middle English: surveyen
Turkish: denetlemek (tr), kontrol etmek (tr)

to see secretly or unintentionally

Bulgarian: съглеждам (bg) (sǎgleždam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 监督 (zh)
Finnish: nähdä (fi), tarkkailla (fi), kytätä (fi)
Portuguese: vigiar (pt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} superviser (fr)
German: ^{(please verify)} überblicken (de), ^{(please verify)} beaufsichtigen (de)
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} supervisar (es)

Anagrams

see over