voice-over

noun

ˈvȯis-ˌō-vər 

1

a

: the voice of an unseen narrator speaking (as in a movie, television show, or commercial)

b

: the voice of a visible character (as in a movie, television show, or video game) expressing especially unspoken thoughts

2

: a recording of a voice-over

Examples of voice-over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The chapel, a voice-over recording explained, was likely founded by monks in the early ninth century before the Arab conquest in 859 AD, and was used by shepherds to shelter their flocks until it was rediscovered in 1963. —Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026

The 2010 role was one of his last major on-screen television appearances, followed by several voice-over projects and a brief part in the 2016 Rocky Horror remake. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026

Throughout the early 2000s, Mead mostly did voice-overs before stepping away from acting after the 2010 film Mean Parents Suck. —Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026

Alexander Skarsgard is pretty much perfect as the titular Murderbot, and his incessant voice-over narration offers a perfect comedic take on a genre that rarely takes this kind of tone. —New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for voice-over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover

Kids Definition

voice-over

noun

ˈvȯi-ˌsō-vər

: the voice in a film or television program of a person who is heard but not seen or not seen actually talking