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
Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Sunday's launch was SpaceX's 47th Falcon 9 launch of the year and 630th overall.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Colorado has a 28-7-5 record on the road and a 53-16-11 record overall.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Yet my overall impressions of the exhibition—as a public forum of address, redress, and dialogue in which critical questions of public memory, regional identity, ideologies of nationalism, and the capacious field of site-specific sculpture can, if not should be borne out—are decidedly more mixed.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overall
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Adverb
And overall, the first quarter of 2026 saw a historic low in major crime across all five boroughs, the department said.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Sunday's launch was SpaceX's 47th Falcon 9 launch of the year and 630th overall.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Flyers selected Porter Martone sixth overall and then signed him to his entry-level contract at the end of March.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Colorado has a 28-7-5 record on the road and a 53-16-11 record overall.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Agents in the industry think United might need more overall, possibly a surplus of three players from the numbers now.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Yet my overall impressions of the exhibition—as a public forum of address, redress, and dialogue in which critical questions of public memory, regional identity, ideologies of nationalism, and the capacious field of site-specific sculpture can, if not should be borne out—are decidedly more mixed.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overall
Cite this Entry
“Overall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overall. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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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