overriding

adjective

over·​rid·​ing ˌō-vər-ˈrī-diŋ How to pronounce overriding (audio)
ˌō-və-
: chief, principal
an overriding concern

Examples of overriding in a Sentence

We have one overriding concern. The weather is the overriding factor in deciding whether to cancel the picnic.
Recent Examples on the Web But his overriding instinct is to find ways to be visible. Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023 Earlier this week, top U.S. health officials, medical organizations, laboratory and hospital associations and others issued a statement touting the overriding benefit of the vaccines. Scott Bauer, Star Tribune, 25 June 2021 In June, San Francisco voters recalled Chesa Boudin, a liberal former public defender turned district attorney, amid rising property crime and an overriding sense, amplified by his opponents on social media, that the city had become unmanageable. Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2023 Biden's overriding priority is domestic. Aaron David Miller, CNN, 22 Sep. 2021 There is an overriding need, an urge, for music too. Richard Quest and Joe Minehane, CNN, 4 Apr. 2023 Ideas are welcomed without an overriding ideological agenda. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023 If the likelihood of consumer confusion is relatively high, the company can sometimes prove an overriding speech interest to continue selling the product. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2023 In the context of a docu-style show whose overriding theme is the desire for more privacy, these are private clothes that are nonetheless conveying a message to the public. Rory Satran, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overriding.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overriding was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near overriding

Cite this Entry

“Overriding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overriding. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

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