supervision

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˌsuː.pəˈvɪʒ.ən/, US /ˌsuː.pɚˈvɪʒ.ən/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin supervīsiō, from the past participle stem of supervideō (“to oversee, inspect”) (see supervise).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

General management, direction, oversight: 1640 in the OED, the 1630s in Etymonline;^[4][2] Merriam-Webster gives the 15th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The verbal noun supervising, in the same sense, is from the late 15th century.^[2] Revision by a superior, reading through for correction, is from 1881,^[4] and a university tutorial from 1902.^[4] The supervision order, a court order placing a child or young person under supervision, is from 1933.^[4]

Timeline

• late 15th century – supervising.^[2]
• 1640 – oversight, management.^[4]
• 1881 – revision by a superior.^[4]
• 1902 – a tutorial.^[4]
• 1933 – supervision order.^[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The act, process or function of supervising; oversight.
2. (British universities) A tutorial.

Related words

• supervise
• supervisor
• vision

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press