superintend

verb

su·​per·​in·​tend ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈtend How to pronounce superintend (audio)
ˌsü-pərn-
superintended; superintending; superintends

transitive verb

: to have or exercise the charge and oversight of : direct

Examples of superintend in a Sentence

superintends the construction of all scenery at the summer theater homeschooling parents who superintend their children's education
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
State law and the City Charter bestow upon the governor the power and duty to superintend the mayor. Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025 Those of us who watched Yellowstone to the last already know the fate of the ranch and the family who superintended it. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025 The exhibition lays claim to the body as the superintending conceit of Warhol’s corpus—an argument often strained by inclusions here of the Hammer & Sickle (1976) works or allusions to the film Sleep (1964). Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024 To superintend the means by which ideas are spread and debated is to superintend those ideas and debates per se. The Editors, National Review, 6 Sep. 2024 For one thing, there is not that much the superintendent can superintend. Alan J. Borsuk, Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2024 In a country that understood its heritage, the members of that court would insist that their role was not to superintend the discussion of current affairs and laugh Mann out of the room. The Editors, National Review, 16 Jan. 2024 He was promoted the following year to superintending statistician. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2023 There’s also a butler (Paul Rhys), who superintends the household with all the warmth of the Grim Reaper. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin superintendere, from Latin super- + intendere to stretch out, direct — more at intend

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of superintend was in 1564

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Superintend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superintend. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

superintend

verb
su·​per·​in·​tend ˌsü-p(ə-)rin-ˈtend How to pronounce superintend (audio)
ˌsü-pərn-
: to be in charge of : direct

More from Merriam-Webster on superintend

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