oversee
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to watch over a piece of work or a group of people to make sure it is done right.
to supervise or manage a project, department, or group of people, ensuring that standards are met and tasks are completed.
Simple“As the manager, she had to oversee the daily work of ten employees.”
In context“The director was appointed to oversee the entire restructuring process, ensuring that each department met its new efficiency targets by the end of the fiscal year.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb and always requires a direct object.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to look at something carefully to check its quality or condition.
to inspect or examine something formally to ensure compliance or quality.
Simple“The committee will oversee the final inspection of the new building.”
In context“A neutral third party was brought in to oversee the audit and verify that all financial records were accurate and transparent.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
to fail to notice something or to ignore it by mistake.
to fail to see or to overlook something; this usage is largely historical and has been replaced by 'overlook' in modern contexts.
Simple“In the old story, the guard happened to oversee the thief hiding in the shadows.”
In context“The poet used the term to describe a character who might oversee a crucial detail, leading to their eventual downfall in the final act.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, 'oversee' almost always means to supervise. Using it to mean 'to fail to see' will confuse most listeners.
Usage oversees the online · oversees the armistice
“The operation was carried out in cooperation with US services, said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services.”
“The secretary also oversees an office that receives a significant amount of inquiries and requests on a daily basis.”
From Middle English overseen, ouverseen, from Old English ofersēon (“to observe, oversee; to overlook, neglect”), equivalent to over- + see.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.