overpayment

noun

over·​pay·​ment ˌō-vər-ˈpā-mənt How to pronounce overpayment (audio)
plural overpayments
: payment that exceeds what is necessary
overpayment of taxes
… implemented electronic payrolls for all employees to prevent overpaymentJocelyn Brumbaugh
also : an amount that is paid in excess
… two taxpayers could not get refunds of tax overpayments dating back more than four years … Samantha McCaughren

Examples of overpayment in a Sentence

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.
Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV extension is a slight overpayment. Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 This suggests their overpayment is based less on enduring affection and more on bidding-war fever. Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 The order could say that the claimant was eligible for benefits, the claimant was not eligible for benefits but the overpayment was waived or that the claimant is not eligible for benefits and the overpayment is not waived, Paris said. Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025 The plan states that during the shutdown, several services will be halted, including benefit verifications, earning record corrections, payee accountings, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, replacement Medicare cards and overpayments processing. Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overpayment

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overpayment was in 1585

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Cite this Entry

“Overpayment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpayment. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

overpayment

noun
over·​pay·​ment
ˈō-vər-ˌpā-mənt
: payment in excess of what is due

More from Merriam-Webster on overpayment

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