Meanings
nounoverseer (plural overseers)
plural overseers
- One who oversees or supervises.
- historicalThe manager of a plantation of slaves.
It is often deemed advisable to knock a man slave down, in order to tie him, but it is considered cowardly and inexcusable, in an overseer, thus to deal with a woman.
1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter 3, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC - historicalAn officer responsible for the care of the poor, making out lists of voters and those who had not paid taxes, etc.
- obsoleteA critic.
- obsoleteTyndale Bible; also puristic; Tyndale Bible; also puristicA bishop.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek ἐπόπτης, ἔφορος
- ἐπόπτης (epóptēs)one who oversees
- ἔφορος (éphoros)one who oversees
- ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos)one who oversees
Arabic مُشْرِف, مُشْرِفَة
- مُشْرِف (mušrif)one who oversees
- مُشْرِفَة (mušrifa)one who oversees
Bulgarian надзира́тел, надзира́телка
- надзира́тел (nadzirátel)one who oversees
- надзира́телка (nadzirátelka)one who oversees
Chinese Mandarin 監督者 /监督者, 監工 /监工
- 監督者 /监督者 (jiāndūzhě)one who oversees
- 監工 /监工 (jiāngōng)one who oversees
Czech dozorce, dozorkyně
- dozorceone who oversees
- dozorkyněone who oversees
Danish opsynsmand
- opsynsmandone who oversees
Dutch opzichter
- opzichterone who oversees
Estonian ülevaataja
- ülevaatajaone who oversees
Finnish työnjohtaja, valvoja
- työnjohtajaone who oversees
- valvojaone who oversees
French contremaître, chef
- contremaîtreone who oversees
- chefone who oversees
German Aufseher, Aufseherin
- Aufseherone who oversees
- Aufseherinone who oversees
Greek επόπτης, εργοδηγός
- επόπτης (epóptis)one who oversees
- εργοδηγός (ergodigós)one who oversees
- επιστάτης (epistátis)one who oversees
- επιτηρητής (epitiritís)one who oversees
Hindi पर्यवेक्षक
- पर्यवेक्षक (paryavekṣak)one who oversees
Hungarian felügyelő, munkafelügyelő
- felügyelőone who oversees
- munkafelügyelőone who oversees
Irish feighlí, maor
- feighlíone who oversees
- maorone who oversees
Italian ispettore, capoccia
- ispettoreone who oversees
- capocciaone who oversees
- supervisoreone who oversees
- organizzatoreone who oversees
- curatoreone who oversees
Japanese 監督者
- 監督者 (kantokusha)one who oversees
Korean 감독자
- 감독자 (gamdokja)one who oversees
Latin curator, curatrix
- curatorone who oversees
- curatrixone who oversees
- praefectusone who oversees
- praepositusone who oversees
Latvian uzraugs
- uzraugsone who oversees
Lithuanian prižiūrėtojas
- prižiūrėtojasone who oversees
Polish nadzorca, nadzorczyni
- nadzorcaone who oversees
- nadzorczynione who oversees
Portuguese feitor
- feitorone who oversees
Romanian supervizor
- supervizorone who oversees
Russian надзира́тель, надзира́тельница
- надзира́тель (nadzirátelʹ)one who oversees
- надзира́тельница (nadzirátelʹnica)one who oversees
- надсмо́трщик (nadsmótrščik)one who oversees
- надсмо́трщица (nadsmótrščica)one who oversees
Slovak dozorca, dozorkyňa
- dozorcaone who oversees
- dozorkyňaone who oversees
Spanish capataz, sobrestante
- capatazone who oversees
- sobrestanteone who oversees
- caporalone who oversees
- caporalistaone who oversees
Swahili msimamizi
- msimamizione who oversees
Swedish förman
- förmanone who oversees
Thai ผู้ดูแล, ผู้ควบคุม
- ผู้ดูแล (pûu-duu-lɛɛ)one who oversees
- ผู้ควบคุม (pûu-kûuap-kum)one who oversees
- หัวหน้างาน (hǔua-nâa-ngaan)one who oversees
Ukrainian нагляда́ч, нагля́дач
- нагляда́ч (nahljadáč)one who oversees
- нагля́дач (nahljádač)one who oversees
- нагляда́чка (nahljadáčka)one who oversees
- нагля́дачка (nahljádačka)one who oversees
Urdu ناظِر, نِگْران
- ناظِر (nāzir)one who oversees
- نِگْران (nigrān)one who oversees
Vietnamese người giám sát
- người giám sátone who oversees
Cite this entry
APA
overseer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overseer
MLA
“overseer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overseer. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overseer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overseer.
Source: overseer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.