overall 1 of 2

adjective

ˌō-vər-ˈȯl How to pronounce overall (audio)
Definition of overallnext
1
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole the overall view seems to be that we're doing fine economically

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in broad
relating to the main elements and not to specific details there's an overall similarity in the looks of the models for that chain of clothing stores

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people the overall mind-set among the people in our town seems to be that any increase in taxes is bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

overall

2 of 2

adverb

ˌō-vər-ˈȯl How to pronounce overall (audio)
1
as in collectively
with everyone or everything taken into account at the same time reduce the budget overall by 15 percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mostly
for the most part overall, this is a good speech, but it could use a little humor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of overall
Adjective
Streamers like Netflix are also increasingly filming abroad while producing fewer shows overall. — Sam Roseme, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 Mueller caught a four yard pass in his college debut, and PFF graded his overall work 12th among 28. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Adverb
But the study results overall indicate that wearables shouldn’t be the only way to track your calorie deficit or calorie surplus goal. — Michelle Marchante september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 The decline of the wholesale channel overall has been a blow to the industry’s morale and its balance sheets and forced many brands to put a greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer sales. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overall
  1. general
  2. broad
  3. prevailing
  4. collectively
  5. mostly
  6. generic
  7. public
  8. generally
Adjective
  • The widespread belief was Clippers general manager Trent Redden would fill that role, but the team has not publicly revealed its plans.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That equation represents a much more general concept that can be applied to all sorts of figures and spatial dimensions.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • Sunderland, of course, spent heavily last season after coming up from the Championship, and there is a broad consensus that promoted teams need to do so to quickly bring their squads up to scratch.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The approach fits the US military’s broader effort to increase the availability of hypersonic flight-test infrastructure.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of broad
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing
Adverb
  • Following the unification of Italy in the 19th century, these traditions increasingly came to be understood collectively as Italian cuisine, although regional differences remain a defining feature of the country’s cuisine.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In his own assessment of last season, Williams found plenty of examples when the Bears offense collectively was just a hair off during the scramble drill.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of collectively
Adverb
  • For motorists with electric vehicles, the average kilowatt hour cost at charging stations in Florida on Sunday rounded up to 41 cents, a rate mostly unchanged since early March.
    — News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Sweaters, which are mostly made in Turkey, retail for $295 to $395 for the core line and $395 to $900 for the Italian collection.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adjective
  • The survey found that voters favored a generic Democratic candidate for Congress over a Republican 46% to 40%, but the Democratic advantage expanded to 11 points among those who definitely plan to vote.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The result is an illusion of depth that ultimately spits out the exact same generic, corner-cutting structure.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of generic
Adjective
  • The build-up to that tie was dominated by a public row with another of his own team’s players, this time French attacker Allan Saint-Maximin.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Moon opposes your ruler Pluto, creating tension between public responsibilities and private concerns.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of public
Adverb
  • Yet only a few people have actually seen it, with smaller and open-source AI companies generally getting excluded from the administration’s conversations.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Still, with new coach Mike Babcock on board and two of the best players in the NHL to lead the way, fans are in a generally good mood.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of generally

Browse Nearby Words

overages
overall
overambitious
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Cite this Entry

“Overall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overall. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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