The word "总监" is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core concept to create a new, unified meaning. The first character, "总" (zǒng), carries the idea of "overall", "chief", or "general", implying totality and primary authority. The second character, "监" (jiān), means "to supervise", "to oversee", or "to monitor". When fused, they conceptually create the role of the "chief supervisor", the person who holds the overarching or highest level of responsibility for supervision and oversight within a given domain, such as a department or project.