Illustration of overall
- overall 1b
over·all
ˌō-vər-ˈȯl 
1
: all over sense 1
the pattern used overall
2
: from one end to the other
600 feet long overall
3
a
: in view of all the circumstances or conditions
overall, the sale was a success
b
: as a whole : generally
doesn't do as well overall
overall and in most of its detail the film has remarkable power—
Time
Time
c
: with everyone or everything taken into account
was third overall in earnings
got 31 miles to the gallon overall
over·all
ˈō-vər-ˌȯl
1
a
b
usually overalls
: trousers of strong material usually with a bib and shoulder straps
2
chiefly British
: a loose-fitting protective smock worn over regular clothing
over·all
ˌō-vər-ˈȯl
ˈō-vər-ˌȯl
ˈō-vər-ˌȯl
1
: including everything
2
: viewed as a whole : general
Examples of overall in a Sentence
Adverb
He made a few mistakes but did well overall.
Overall, the project was successful.
Adjective
your overall score after two rounds
His mistake didn't change my overall impression of him.
Your overall health is sound.
She likes the overall quality of the product.
The scratch didn't affect the car's overall appearance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
The fear for Brighton is that the financial clout of the biggest clubs with the highest revenues — including matchday income from their larger stadiums —will escalate, widening the spending power gap and making the Premier League overall less competitive.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Simon Johnson, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
The most common cause of a concussion overall is a fall.
—Javier Cárdenas, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite the overall slowdown, CodePath CEO Michael Ellison—a Y Combinator alum—argues telling people not to avoid tech right now would be a mistake.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overall
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Adverb
This makes home equity loans not only one of the cheapest ways to borrow equity currently, but one of the cheapest ways to borrow money overall.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
The fear for Brighton is that the financial clout of the biggest clubs with the highest revenues — including matchday income from their larger stadiums —will escalate, widening the spending power gap and making the Premier League overall less competitive.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Noun
Palmer went on to beat Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to score just his second league goal of the season and third overall.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
The most common cause of a concussion overall is a fall.
—Javier Cárdenas, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Jakucionis, who was selected by the Heat with the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft, finished Thursday’s win with three points and one assist in eight minutes.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite the overall slowdown, CodePath CEO Michael Ellison—a Y Combinator alum—argues telling people not to avoid tech right now would be a mistake.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overall
Cite this Entry
“Overall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overall. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overall
1 of 2 adverb
over·all
ˌō-və-ˈrȯl
: as a whole : generally
we find your work satisfactory, overall
overall
2 of 2 adjectiveˌō-və-ˈrȯl,
ˈō-və-ˌrȯl
1
: including everything
overall expenses
2
: viewed as a whole : general
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