verb
oversee
oh-vuh-SEE
verb
1
To supervise or take responsibility for a person, project, or process.
"She oversees the entire marketing department."
2
To inspect or examine something closely.
"An inspector was sent to oversee the building work."
How to Use Oversee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo keep watch over and take responsibility for how something is run.
Common mistake
Don't mix up with "overlook" — "oversee" means to actively supervise, while "overlook" usually means to miss or excuse something.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
oversee a project
oversee operations
Word Forms
oversaw past tense, overseen past tense, oversees singular
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She _____ the entire marketing department.
Etymology
From Old English ofersēon, built from over- + see.