overman

1 of 2

noun

over·​man ˈō-vər-mən How to pronounce overman (audio)
-ˌman
1
: a man in authority over others
specifically : foreman
2
-ˌman
[translation of German Übermensch] : superman sense 1

overman

2 of 2

verb

over·​man ˌō-vər-ˈman How to pronounce overman (audio)
overmanned; overmanning; overmans

transitive verb

: to have or get too many personnel for the needs of
overman a ship

Examples of overman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Not the whole overwrought overman stuff, and not the conflation of pity and weakness. Christian Wiman, Harper's magazine, 20 Jan. 2020
Verb
Fernandinho, as the lone holding midfielder, can be overmanned, while central defender Nicolas Otamendi, for all his improvement this season, can still be exposed by players running at him. Jonathan Wilson, SI.com, 8 Dec. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1637, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overman was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near overman

Cite this Entry

“Overman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overman. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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