# oversee

Pronunciation: US say "oh-vur-SEE" /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/; say "oh-vuh-SEE" UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈsiː/, AUS /ˌəʉ.vəˈsiː/

## Verb

1. To watch over a person's or group's activities and guide or check them.
   - Simple: To watch over and direct the work of a person or group.
   - _The board appointed her to oversee the entire research division._
   - _A senior editor oversees every article before it goes to print._
2. To inspect or examine something carefully in order to judge its condition or quality.
   - Simple: To look closely at something to check it is correct or in good condition.
   - _The customs officer oversaw the contents of every crate._
   - _Inspectors oversee the bridge supports for signs of rust._
3. To survey a scene, taking in a wide area at a single glance.
   - Simple: To look out over a wide area and take in the whole view.
   - _The watchtower lets a single sentry oversee miles of open coastline._
   - _From the ridge, she oversaw the sprawling encampment below._
4. To observe someone or something secretly, or to notice it by accident without intending to.
   - Simple: To see or hear something by accident, without being noticed.
   - _He oversaw their quiet exchange from the far side of the hall._
   - _Standing in the doorway, she happened to oversee a private moment between them._

## Verb

5. To fail to see something; to overlook or disregard it. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To fail to notice something, or to leave it out by mistake.

## Origin

From Middle English overseen, from Old English ofersēon ("to observe, oversee; to overlook, neglect"), formed from over- plus see.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/oversee (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).