overpayment

noun

over·​pay·​ment ˌō-vər-ˈpā-mənt 

plural overpayments

: payment that exceeds what is necessary

overpayment of taxes

… implemented electronic payrolls for all employees to prevent overpayment …

—Jocelyn 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

Wage overpayments are treated similarly to wage advances or loans, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, so employers can generally recover money paid by mistake. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026

This bill would allow them to, in effect, count that overpayment against future refunds due under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. —Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

These notifications could include e-signatures, forms requiring filing, and overpayments. —Kathy Yakal, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026

The allegations center on Cherfilus-McCormick’s receipt of millions of dollars from her family’s health care business following Florida’s overpayment of roughly $5 million in disaster relief funds. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overpayment

• underpayment
• claimant
• payment
• copayment
• embayment
• nonpayment
• prepayment
• repayment

Legal Definition

overpayment

noun

over·​pay·​ment

ˈō-vər-ˌpā-mənt

: payment in excess of what is due