overall

American  

[oh-ver-awl, oh-ver-awl] / ˈoʊ vərˈɔl, ˈoʊ vərˌɔl /

adverb

1. from one extreme limit of a thing to the other.

   the overall length of the bridge.

2. covering or including everything.

   an overall impression;

   to view something overall.

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noun

• overalls
  plural

1. (used with a plural verb) overalls,

   1. loose, sturdy trousers, usually with a bib or biblike piece to which shoulder straps are attached, originally worn over other trousers to protect them, as by factory workers or farmers.

   2. long waterproof leggings.

2. British. a smock or loose-fitting housedress.

overall British  

adjective

1. from one end to the other

2. including or covering everything

   the overall cost

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adverb

1. in general; on the whole

noun

1. a protective work garment usually worn over ordinary clothes

2. (plural) hard-wearing work trousers with a bib and shoulder straps or jacket attached

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• overalls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of overall

First recorded before 1000; Middle English overal (adverb), Old English ofer eall; see over ( def. ), all ( def. )

Explanation

The overall meaning of the word overall is that it covers all the parts of something. For example, the individual parts don't matter as much as the overall value. The word overall is the sum of its parts. Take the word over, meaning "above," and add it to the word all, meaning "everything" and you get overall, meaning "above everything". But remember, it's an adjective as in the overall impression of the music, the overall effect of the new tax code, the overall direction (as opposed to individual little changes.) Remember that overalls, the clothes you wore as a kid, went "over all" your other clothes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overall overalls

And despite the overall lull in the fighting, Iran fired drones at oil tankers from the United Arab Emirates, another U.S. ally, as they transited the Strait of Hormuz this month.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Issues such as having a parent or sibling with dementia, as well as traumatic brain injury, increase your overall dementia risk, however.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Their skin care prioritizes overall health, if that makes sense,” Sarah Draves, 27, said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

The primary endpoints were for progression-free survival and overall survival in the primary population of patients versus the comparator arm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

During my lunch break, while waiting for Sarah to prepare the sandwiches for the newsmen, I wrote out a timeline of Yakov’s death and described how it fit into the overall chain of disappearances.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Footage from inside showed rescue workers in orange overalls and white helmets picking their way through a mass of twisted steel, dangling cables and chunks of ceiling.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Another man was dressed in overalls in star-spangled colors while one couple wore large and seemingly uncomfortable bald eagle heads, topped by red, white and blue cloth stovepipe hats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

The EFF, also known locally as the red berets, are known for their signature red overalls worn by party leaders in parliament, meant to symbolise their affinity with South Africa's working class.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

His hands were bound with plastic cable ties and he was wearing orange overalls and a black face mask.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

Before daylight every morning he would leave the house in his overalls, to be gone all day.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• comprehensive
• global
• long-term