overhead

1 of 3

adverb

over·​head ˌō-vər-ˈhed 

: above one's head : aloft

overhead

2 of 3

adjective

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

a

: operating, lying, or coming from above

b

: having the driving part above the part driven

valves operated by an overhead camshaft

2

: of or relating to overhead

overhead costs

overhead

3 of 3

noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: business expenses (such as rent, insurance, or heating) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product

2

: ceiling

especially : the ceiling of a ship's compartment

3

: a stroke in a racket game made above head height : smash

Synonyms of overhead

Adverb

• upward
• above
• over

Examples of overhead in a Sentence

Adverb

A chandelier hung directly overhead.

People were making noise in the balcony overhead.

Noun

Her company has very little overhead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Greek military police set up a cordon during the hourlong drills Friday to keep bathers from getting too close as Greek and Egyptian service members ran through colored smoke and onto the beach, while jets and helicopters swooped overhead. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Others raised concerns about how frequently drones could be flying overhead and the potential noise associated with the service. — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Longer life, lower overhead The system’s architecture reduces its footprint by 30%, according to the company, while its 24-hour comprehensive efficiency exceeds 88%. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

The gap in business outcomes between companies that treat marketing primarily as overhead and those that treat it as a strategic investment is likely to get much wider. — George Couris, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Partner-Centric Cloud Advantage Integrators can leverage multitenant cloud platforms to eliminate on-premises server overhead and centralize multisite administration. — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

But Rybakina showed no intimidation, quickly coming through with a decisive break to clinch the victory after Gauff sent her overhead shot out of bounds, much to the shock of those there to root on the American. — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing overhead

• overhead projector

Rhymes for overhead

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead

Kids Definition

overhead

1 of 3 adverb

over·​head ˌō-vər-ˈhed 

: above one's head : aloft

geese flying overhead

overhead

2 of 3 adjective

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: operating or lying above

an overhead door

2

: of or relating to business expense

overhead

3 of 3 noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: general business expenses (as rent, heat, or insurance)

2

: a stroke in a racket game made above head height : smash

Legal Definition

overhead

noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

: business expenses (as rent or insurance) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product