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

Adverb

• upward
• upwards
• above
• aloft
• 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

As helicopters started flying overhead, the campers realized how grave the situation had become. —Adam Carlson, People.com, 7 July 2025

Finance and legal are often seen as compliance overhead by many CEOs. —Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

Adjective

Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2025

Conditions for whitetails deteriorated because the overhead canopy formed by large trees prevented the growth of the low brush that is ideal deer habitat. —Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 26 June 2025

Noun

Two additional images emphasize aerial support: one depicts marshals on a snowy plain pointing toward a King County Sheriff’s helicopter overhead, while another aerial shot shows a chopper flying low above a turquoise lake, with searchers visible below. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025

By offloading tasks like contextual rephrasing to a lightweight LLM, teams preserved conversational quality while cutting unnecessary overhead. —Alan Nichol, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th 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