Word
superintendent
Phoneticssu·per·in·ten·dent
US/ˌsupɝənˈtɛndənt/
UK/sˌuːpəɹɪntˈɛndənt/
Definitions
01building manager
n. a person who takes care of an apartment building and makes sure everything works.
n. the manager of a residential or commercial building responsible for maintenance and operations; often shortened to 'super' in North American English.
“If your heater stops working, you should call the superintendent.”
“The superintendent lives in the basement apartment and handles all minor repairs for the building's thirty units.”
American English
Usage
Often shortened to 'super' in casual conversation.
Antonyms
02police rank
n. a high-ranking police officer who manages a department or area.
n. a senior police rank, typically positioned above a chief inspector and below a chief superintendent.
“The superintendent led the investigation into the local robbery.”
“Superintendent Miller was tasked with reorganising the regional task force after the budget cuts were announced.”
British English · Formal
Teaching tip
In British crime dramas, this character is often addressed as 'Super' by colleagues.
03school official
n. the person in charge of all the schools in a specific area or district.
n. the chief executive official in charge of a local school district.
“The school superintendent decided to close the schools because of the heavy snow.”
“The superintendent presented a new five-year plan to the board of education to improve literacy rates across the district.”
American English · Formal
Synonyms
04general supervisor
n. someone who has the power to manage or direct a large project or organisation.
n. a person who oversees, directs, or administers a specific project, department, or institution.
“She was appointed as the superintendent of the new national park.”
“The site superintendent ensured that all safety protocols were strictly followed during the construction of the bridge.”
Formal
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“A man, a woman and a teenage girl died after the incident in Shoreham-by-Sea, the chief superintendent of Sussex police, James Collis, said.” “In 1915, Yellowstone’s superintendent wrote that growing wolf populations had become “a decided menace” to their prey animals, and park managers made efforts to kill them.” Etymology
From Ecclesiastical Latin superintendens, a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos); thence being distantly related to English bishop.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/superintendent