Skip to main content
Language Foundation

supervisor

A supervisor is a person whose job is to oversee and direct the work of other employees.

In plain English

This is the person in charge of other employees' work. They watch over that work and give direction to the employees doing it. The role is about managing how their work is carried out.

In context

Here, "supervisor" means the employee's reporting manager who oversees and directs that employee's work.

Situation
Completing employee onboarding, payroll setup, policies, and mandatory forms
What it communicates
identifies the employee's reporting manager.

Meaning limits

The term alone does not show how many employees the person manages or what authority they have beyond directing work.

Examples

“The supervisor walked the floor, checking each clerk's work and assigning the next tasks.”

Core meaning

“After the error, Lena called her supervisor to explain why the order had been delayed.”

In context

  • line supervisor Narrower Term

    A line supervisor is a more specific kind of supervisor.

  • subordinate Opposite

    A subordinate works under the direction of a supervisor.