overheads

British

/ ˈəʊvəˌhɛdz /

plural noun

Also called: burden. fixed costs. indirect costs. oncost. business expenses, such as rent, that are not directly attributable to any department or product and can therefore be assigned only arbitrarily Compare prime cost

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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overheads

Suffering from slimmer margins on electric cars, US tariffs and above all intense Chinese competition, German carmakers have sought to cut overheads.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

And in this case, the marginal cost of each ticket is small – there are not even any very substantial overheads to cover, which often justify a higher price.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

"He's always smiling, always bringing positive vibes. His slides, his defence, his slam-dunk overheads are some signature shots. He'll be missed. An incredible guy to be around."

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

This is what economists call a cost-push shock: Rising input costs work through the supply chain, lifting intermediary material costs and overheads.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

So I really try to focus on the lesson, but I’m having trouble keeping up with Ms. Rucker’s overheads.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023