overarching
Americanadjective
-
forming an arch above.
great trees with overarching branches.
-
encompassing or overshadowing everything.
The community's overarching needs are more jobs and better housing.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of overarching
Explanation
When something is overarching, it affects or includes everything. While your novel touches on a lot of subjects and ideas, its overarching theme is the importance of friendship. When it's used figuratively, this adjective describes a quality that influences every single part of something. You can say that your club's overarching interest is the outdoors, or that the overarching goal of your school is to give everyone a solid STEM education. Overarching also literally means "forming an arch shape over something," like the overarching grape vines you pass beneath to enter your friend's garden.
Vocabulary lists containing overarching
Life of Pi
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Masterminds
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Moneyball
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Garson makes the case that Dr. Snyder’s research into dopamine and mental illness “sculpted science’s overarching understanding of how such drugs work.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Alonso's system has overarching principles, with the Spaniard seeking to dominate the ball and set up attacks in the opponent's half for long periods.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The overarching theme here is a court that just doesn’t care.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
The series’ first film is its strongest, weaving together overarching parodies of “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” alongside brief send-ups of popular horror films.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
I glance over at Jane, who's giving Gary a look as Mr. Fortson starts talking about how you can't have Alliances within the Alliance or else there's no overarching Alliance.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
