overarching

adjective

over·​arch·​ing ˌō-vər-ˈär-chiŋ How to pronounce overarching (audio)
1
: forming an arch overhead
an overarching bower
an overarching bridge
2
: dominating or embracing all else
overarching goals
overarching ambition
projects of overarching public benefitBob Katz

Examples of overarching in a Sentence

Computer downtime is an overarching problem in all departments.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And if you’re not invested in the overarching narrative of tech-industry intrigue, dystopian digital landscapes, and several terrabytes worth of sci-fi clichés mashed together by now, this will not get you on board. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025 And there is also an overarching bad guy more brutal than anything seen in the first movie, a murderer and rapist named Otis Wardell. Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025 Footnotes now to the team’s overarching failure. Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 The overarching ideal is to help make life better for constituents. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overarching

Word History

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overarching was in 1720

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overarching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overarching. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on overarching

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!