overseer

[ oh-ver-see-er, -seer ]

noun

1. a person who oversees; supervisor; manager:

   the overseer of a plantation.

   Synonyms: director, boss, head, chief

overseer

/ ˈəʊvəˌsiːə /

noun

1. Also called (less commonly)overlooker a person who oversees others, esp workmen
2. history short for overseer of the poor; a minor official of a parish attached to the workhouse or poorhouse

Other Words From

• sub·over·seer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of overseer¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; oversee, -er ¹

Example Sentences

In the background, the older workers negotiate with the overseer for better pay by threatening to strike, and suffer his threats and intimidation.

From New York Times

Trump has said that he will make Musk the overseer of “government efficiency.”

From Salon

Johannes’ overseer is no fan of “metaphysical rubbish,” which is where the young man’s energies are directed, particularly toward the universal wave function that suggests the existence of multiple realities.

From Los Angeles Times

He is known as a longtime overseer of the group’s bomb-making capability, directing dozens of suicide bombings of Israeli buses and cafes in the 1990s and early 2000s.

From Los Angeles Times

The cruel overseer whipped her and the baby, and she begged the old man Toby to set her free.

From Literature

Related Words

• superintendent
• supervisor