overall

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adverb over·all \ ˌō-vər-ˈȯl \

Definition of overall

1 :all over 1

the pattern used overall

2 :from one end to the other

600 feet long overall

3 a :in view of all the circumstances or conditions

overall, the sale was a success

b :as a whole :generally

doesn't do as well overall

overall and in most of its detail the film has remarkable power
—Time

c :with everyone or everything taken into account

was third overall in earnings

got 31 miles to the gallon overall

See overall defined for English-language learners

See overall defined for kids

Examples of overall in a Sentence

He made a few mistakes but did well overall.
Overall, the project was successful.

Recent Examples of overall from the Web

Overall, 107 participants who had suffered from PTSD for an average of 17.8 years were treated in the phase II trials, Doblin says.

— kai kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "All clear for the decisive trial of ecstasy in PTSD patients," 27 Aug. 2017
Bosa was taken two picks after L.A. dealt premium picks to go up and claim Goff first overall.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rivers and Bosa — a reminder that life's not fair," 26 Aug. 2017
Overall a great fine dining experience that touches on the best of Greek cuisine with modern techniques.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "We rated 11 favorite Miami Spice restaurants so you don’t have to," 23 Aug. 2017
Overall, Rancho Bernardo moved up from 19th to 18th place citywide, with 10.58 crimes per 1,000 residents reported during the first six months of this year compared to 12.92 crimes per 1,000 in the same period last year.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo crime trends show improvement," 17 Aug. 2017
The Angels recorded their second straight win when tied after 8 innings…overall the Angels are 5-6 this season when tied after 8 innings.

— ryan divish, The Seattle Times, "Manager Scott Servais discusses his bullpen decisions in the Mariners’ 6-5 loss to the Angels," 11 Aug. 2017
Bruce Clark, senior vice president at Moody's, discusses near-term credit risks for Tesla and outlook for the company overall.

— Bloomberg.com, "Clark Says Tesla Has ‘Adequate Liquidity’ Through 2019," 11 Aug. 2017
Kelly, drafted 18th overall by the Colts in 2016, graduated from West in 2011 before starring at Alabama.

— dave clark, Cincinnati.com, "Report: Colts' Ryan Kelly could miss multiple weeks," 11 Aug. 2017
The top 60 athletes from those surveys were used to create the final 50, with the athletes given grades for dominance, inspiration and impact on society as well as the overall ranking.

— mark inabinett, AL.com, "Bo Jackson No. 25, Willie Mays No. 4 in 50 Greatest Black Athletes ranking," 8 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overall

13th century

overall Synonyms

overall

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noun over·all \ ˈō-vər-ˌȯl \

Definition of overall

1 a overalls play \ˈō-vər-ˌȯlz\ plural, archaic :loose protective trousers worn over regular clothes

b usually overalls :trousers of strong material usually with a bib and shoulder straps

2 chiefly British :a loose-fitting protective smock worn over regular clothing

See overall defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of overall from the Web

The tall, thin student appeared pale and said nothing during his brief court appearance, wearing blue police forensic overalls, handcuffs and socks without shoes.

— Washington Post, "Student charged with assaulting 4 at Australian university," 25 Aug. 2017
USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg projects Miami to go 6-6 overall, 4-4 in the MAC.

— dave clark, Cincinnati.com, "Yahoo: Miami RedHawks' Chuck Martin among nation's hottest rising coaches," 23 Aug. 2017
Vargas dropped to 14-7 overall, his ERA settling at 3.59.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "Royals’ starting rotation continues struggles in 5-0 loss to Indians," 19 Aug. 2017
Vardanyan, an All-Area honoree, teamed up with Faraj to compile a 43-8 overall record and a 30-6 mark in league.

— jeff tully, Burbank Leader, "Girls’ Tennis Preview: Burbank looks to stay among league’s top teams," 18 Aug. 2017
Stephenson walked seven batters and the Reds issued nine overall.

— andre c. fernandez, miamiherald, "Dietrich, Rojas back up O’Grady’s solid start in win over Reds," 27 July 2017
San Diego picked Stevenson senior outfielder Henry Marchese in the 34th round, 1,008th overall.

— lamond pope, Lake County News-Sun, "Ryan Noda is third Grant graduate in four years to be picked in MLB draft," 14 June 2017
Lauer, the team’s third first-round choice at 25th overall, has a California League-leading 1.97 ERA in his eight starts.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lauer, Quantrill armed for quick trip to bigs," 26 May 2017
Also among the top finishers were Tyler Boyd of Abingdon, fifth in 20-29 in 1:34:16; Danielle Kays, Bel Air, first in 40-49 in 1:37:26; Joseph Nosek, Bel Air, 35th overall in 1:39:41; and Logan Bear of Abingdon, second in 16-19 in 1:58:49.

— bill blewett, The Aegis, "Steve Kudla loves running and Old Bay," 25 May 2017

Illustration of overall

First Known Use of overall

1631

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

overall

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adjective over·all \ ˌō-vər-ˈȯl , ˈō-vər-ˌȯl \

Definition of overall

1 :including everything

2 :viewed as a whole :general

See overall defined for English-language learners

Examples of overall in a Sentence

your overall score after two rounds
His mistake didn't change my overall impression of him.
Your overall health is sound.
She likes the overall quality of the product.
The scratch didn't affect the car's overall appearance.

Recent Examples of overall from the Web

Output rose and overall new orders expanded but export orders grew at a slower pace, according to the survey’s sub-indexes, indicating that domestic demand was strengthening at the expense of global demand.

— kelvin chan, The Seattle Times, "China factory growth accelerates, service industries slip," 30 Aug. 2017
There were roughly 1.75 million housing units in Harris County, but that includes apartment and condominium buildings, making it an imperfect figure to try to calculate what overall percentage of families are covered by flood insurance.

— chicagotribune.com, "Flood insurance policies in Houston plunged before Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
Here's the easiest narrative to construct: Langford, a five-star shooting guard and No. 5 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class (according to 247 Sports' composite rankings),

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Would Romeo Langford choose Vanderbilt? | Fletcher Page," 30 Aug. 2017
Across all the markets tested, there were 3.4 percent fewer units available overall.

— alana semuels, The Atlantic, "Trump Administration Puts on Hold an Obama-Era Desegregation Effort," 30 Aug. 2017
Comparison of a wider range of foods, however, shows an overall 1.2 percent drop in prices.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Here are some of the Whole Foods savings you can find now that Amazon has taken over," 30 Aug. 2017
NHTSA assigns cars an overall rating out of five stars.

— Car and Driver, "2018 Ford Fusion," 30 Aug. 2017
Back in 2008, 60% of colonies were lost, but since then, there has been a steady decline in the overall colony loss rate, according to the EPA.

— susmita baral, Teen Vogue, "Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder, Explained," 29 Aug. 2017
Smith was the ninth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.

— david humphrey, star-telegram, "Dallas Mavericks release preseason schedule," 29 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of overall

1894

overall Synonyms

Synonyms

across-the-board, blanket, broad-brush, common, generic, global, general, universal

Antonyms

individual, particular

Related Words

all-embracing, broad, broad-gauge (or broad-gauged), broadscale, comprehensive, extensive, inclusionary, overarching, pervasive, sweeping, ubiquitous, wholesale, wide, widespread; aggregate, collective, complete, full, plenary; planetary, worldwide

Near Antonyms

component, constituent; cross-sectional, divisional, fragmentary, partial; local, localized, regional, sectional

OVERALL Defined for English Language Learners

overall

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adverb

Definition of overall for English Language Learners

: with everyone or everything included
: as a whole : in general

overall

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noun

Definition of overall for English Language Learners

overalls : a pair of pants with an extra piece attached that covers the chest and has straps that go over the shoulders
: a loose coat that is worn over clothes so that they do not get dirty
overalls : a piece of clothing that is worn over other clothes to protect them

overall

play

adjective

Definition of overall for English Language Learners

: including everyone or everything
: viewed as a whole or in general

OVERALL Defined for Kids

overall

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adverb over·all \ ˌō-vər-ˈȯl \

Definition of overall for Students

:as a whole :in most ways

They did a nice job overall.

overall

adjective

Definition of overall for Students

:including everyone or everything

overall expenses

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overall

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