superintendent

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US/ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/US/ˌsuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/

noun

A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.

CommonScrabble 17

Meanings

nounsuperintendent (plural superintendents)

plural superintendents

  1. A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.
  2. CommonwealthgovernmentA police officer rank, positioned above chief inspector, and below chief superintendent.

    “No, don't,” replied the superintendent; “in fact, I'd rather you made yourself conspicuous elsewhere. Go down to the landing stage and cross to New Brighton or Wallasey—doesn't matter which—and come back. No doubt you will be seen, and reported to have gone across.”

    1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 7, in Well Tackled!
  3. The manager of a building, usually a communal residence, who is responsible for keeping the facilities functional and often collecting rent or similar payments, either as also the building's landlord or on behalf of same.

    Synonyms: super

  4. In some Protestant churches, a clergyman having the oversight of the clergy of a district.
  5. USA janitor.
  6. USeducationAn administrator of a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools.
adjectivesuperintendent (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOverseeing; superintending.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe manager of a building, usually a communal residence, who is responsible for keeping the facilities functional and often collecting rent or similar payments, either as also the building's landlord or on behalf of same.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nouna person who directs and manages an organization

Similar
Broader

nouna caretaker for an apartment house; represents the owner as janitor and rent collector

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐπίσκοπος
  2. Ecclesiastical Latinsuperintendens
  3. Englishsuperintendent

From Ecclesiastical Latin superintendens, a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos); thence being distantly related to English bishop.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἐπιστάτης
  • ἐπιστάτης (epistátēs)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Bulgarian надзирател, управител
  • надзирател (nadziratel)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • управител (upravitel)manager of a building
Chinese Mandarin 監督人 /监督人, 管理人
  • 監督人 /监督人 (jiāndūrén)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • 管理人 (guǎnlǐrén)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Danish forstander
  • forstandera person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Dutch hoofdopzichter, commissaris
  • hoofdopzichtera person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • commissarispolice officer ranking above inspector
Esperanto vokto
  • voktoa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Finnish tarkastaja, valvoja
  • tarkastajaa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • valvojaa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • isännöitsijäa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
French surintendant, superintendant
  • surintendanta person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • superintendantpolice officer ranking above inspector
  • propriétairemanager of a building
German Leiter
  • Leitera person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Greek επιτηρητής, αστυνόμος
  • επιτηρητής (epitiritís)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • αστυνόμος (astynómos)police officer ranking above inspector
Hindi अधीक्षक, अधीक्षक
  • अधीक्षक (adhīkṣak)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • अधीक्षक (adhīkṣak)police officer ranking above inspector
Hungarian felügyelő, ellenőr
  • felügyelőa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • ellenőra person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • szakmai vezetőa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • felügyelőpolice officer ranking above inspector
  • főfelügyelőpolice officer ranking above inspector
  • rendőrfőnökpolice officer ranking above inspector
  • házfelügyelőmanager of a building
  • házmestermanager of a building
  • gondnokmanager of a building
  • épületgondnokmanager of a building
Indonesian komisaris
  • komisarispolice officer ranking above inspector
Irish maor
  • maora person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Italian soprintendente, sovrintendente
  • soprintendentea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • sovrintendentea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • sovrintendentepolice officer ranking above inspector
Japanese 管理者, 局長
  • 管理者 (kanrisha)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • 局長 (kyokuchō)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • 警視 (keishi)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Korean 관리자, 관리인
  • 관리자 (gwallija)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • 관리인 (gwalliin)manager of a building
Latin curator, curatrix
  • curatora person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • curatrixa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • praefectusa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Malay سوڤراينتيندن
  • سوڤراينتيندن (superinténden)police officer ranking above inspector
Norwegian overbetjent
  • overbetjentpolice officer ranking above inspector
Portuguese superintendente, síndico
  • superintendentea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • síndicomanager of a building
  • síndicamanager of a building
Romanian supraveghetor, supraveghetoare
  • supraveghetora person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • supraveghetoarea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Russian коменда́нт, заве́дующий
  • коменда́нт (komendánt)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • заве́дующий (zavédujuščij)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • управля́ющий (upravljájuščij)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • руководи́тель (rukovodítelʹ)a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Spanish superintendente, director
  • superintendentea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • directora person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • supervisora person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
Swedish föreståndare, kommissarie
  • föreståndarea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • kommissariea person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • vicevärdmanager of a building
Tagalog tagapamahala, tagapamahala ng gusali
  • tagapamahalaa person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something
  • tagapamahala ng gusalimanager of a building

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with superintendent

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

superintendent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superintendent

MLA

“superintendent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superintendent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “superintendent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superintendent.

Source: superintendent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.