oversee

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊ.vəˈsiː/, [ˌəʊ̯.vəˈsiː]

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/, [ˌoʊ̯.vɚˈsi]
• (New Zealand, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɐʉ.vəˈsiː/, [ˌɐʉ̯.vɐˈsiː]
• Hyphenation: over‧see
• Rhymes: -iː
• Homophone: oversea

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

1. (literally) To survey, look at something in a wide angle.
2. (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.

3. To inspect, examine

   Gamekeepers oversee a hunting ground to see to the wildlife's welfare and look for poachers.

4. (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:

     Thereat the Elfe did blush in priuitee, / And turnd his face away; but she the same / Dissembled faire, and faynd to ouersee.

5. To observe secretly or unintentionally.

• overseer
• oversight

• overhear

• overlook
• overwatch

• see over