superintendent

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/, /ˌsuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

superintendent (plural superintendents)

1. A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.
2. (Commonwealth) A police rank used in Commonwealth countries, ranking above chief inspector, and below chief superintendent.
   • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 7, in Well Tackled!‎^[1]:

     “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.”

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. Often abbreviated "super".
4. The head of a Sunday school.
5. In some Protestant churches, a clergyman having the oversight of the clergy of a district.
6. (chiefly US) A janitor.

Synonyms

• manager
• foreman
• chief, head, head man
• controller, comptroller
• overseer
• supervisor

Derived terms

• supt. (abbreviation)
• SP (abbreviation)
• chief superintendent
• detective superintendent (DSupt)
• detective chief superintendent (DCS)

Related terms

• superintend
• superintendency

Translations

a person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 監督人／监督人 (zh), 监督人 (zh) (jiāndūrén), 管理人 (zh) (guǎnlǐrén)

• Dutch: hoofdopzichter m
• Finnish: tarkastaja (fi), valvoja (fi), isännöitsijä (of a building)
• French: surintendant (fr) m
• German: Leiter (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐπιστάτης m (epistátēs)

• Hindi: सुपरिंटेंडेंट (hi) m (supriṇṭeṇḍẽṭ), सुपरडंट (hi) m (suparḍaṇṭ)
• Irish: maor m
• Italian: soprintendente (it) m or f, sovrintendente m or f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 管理者 (ja) (かんりしゃ, kanrisha), 局長 (ja) (きょくちょう, kyokuchō), 警視 (けいし, keishi) (police)
• Korean: 관리자 (ko) (gwallija)
• Latin: curator (la) m, curatrix f
• Manx: ard-er m
• Navajo: naatʼáanii, binantʼaʼí
• Portuguese: superintendente – m or f
• Romanian: supraveghetor (ro) m, supraveghetoare (ro) f
• Russian: коменда́нт (ru) m (komendánt), заве́дующий (ru) (zavédujuščij), управля́ющий (ru) m (upravljájuščij), руководи́тель (ru) m (rukovodítelʹ)
• Spanish: superintendente - m or f, director (es) m, supervisor (es) m
• Swedish: föreståndare (sv) c, kommissarie (sv) c
• Tagalog: tagapamahala

police officer ranking above inspector

• Dutch: commissaris (nl)
• French: superintendant (fr)
• Greek: αστυνόμος (el) m or f (astynómos)
• Hindi: सुपरिंटेंडेंट (hi) m (supriṇṭeṇḍẽṭ), सुपरिंटेंडेंट पुलिस m (supriṇṭeṇḍẽṭ pulis), सुपरडंट (hi) m (suparḍaṇṭ)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: sovrintendente

manager of a building

• Korean: 관리인 (ko) (gwalliin)
• Swedish: vicevärd (sv) c
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Tagalog: tagapamahala ng gusali

See also

• (policing) police constable (PC), woman police constable (WPC), detective constable (DC), detective sergeant (DS), detective inspector (DI), detective chief inspector (DCI)

Adjective

superintendent (not comparable)

1. Overseeing; superintending.