'superintendent' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'superintendens', where 'super-' meant 'over' and 'intendĕre' (or 'intendere') meant 'to stretch, aim, direct'.

'superintendent' changed from the Late Latin/Medieval Latin present participle 'superintendens' into Old French/Anglo-Norman forms and then entered Middle English as 'superintendent', eventually becoming the modern English 'superintendent'.

Initially, it meant 'one who oversees or directs from above'; over time it retained that core sense but became specialized for particular offices (e.g., school district head, building caretaker, police rank).