Meaning & use
supervisor
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to watch over and direct the work of other employees.
Grammar: Countable noun: use 'a supervisor' or 'supervisors'. Often followed by 'of': 'the supervisor of the team'.
Patterns
- supervisor of something
- a supervisor at a company
- report to a supervisor
My supervisor checked my report before sending it to the client.
She was promoted to supervisor after two years on the factory floor.
If you have a problem, talk to your supervisor first.
nouncountable
An academic staff member who guides a student's research or dissertation.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'for' or 'of': 'my supervisor for my thesis'.
Patterns
- supervisor for a thesis
- meet with one's supervisor
I meet my PhD supervisor every two weeks to discuss progress.
Her supervisor suggested she narrow the topic of her dissertation.
Word forms
| plural | supervisors |
|---|
Common combinations
- direct supervisor
- My direct supervisor is on vacation this week.
- shift supervisor
- The shift supervisor makes sure the night team stays on schedule.
- report to a supervisor
- All new employees report to a supervisor during training.
- supervisor's approval
- You need your supervisor's approval to take a day off.
Synonyms and how they differ
- manager
- Manager is a broader term for someone in charge of a department or business unit, while a supervisor often works more closely with front-line staff.
- boss
- Boss is informal and can refer to anyone in charge, whereas supervisor is a specific job title or role.
- overseer
- Overseer is similar but often suggests a more distant or controlling role and can sound old-fashioned or negative.
Word family
- supervise verb
- To watch over and direct work or activity.
- supervision noun
- The act of watching over and directing work.
- supervisory adjective
- Relating to a supervisor or supervision.
Commonly confused: supervisor or superior?
supervisor vs superior
Superior means someone of higher rank in general, while a supervisor is specifically someone who directs your daily work.
Practice
If you have a problem at work, you should talk to your ______ first.
Choose one answer.
Supervisor is the person who directly oversees your work and is the right person to approach with a problem. Superior is too general, supervision is the act, not a person, and supervise is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “supervisor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.