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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In addition to the higher potential for inflation, Tuesday’s PMI data showed lower employment as “firms generally sought to reduce overheads in the uncertain economic climate.”

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

The overheads are steep, particularly for an industry that has long enjoyed high margins supported by relatively compact stores.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

The stores would be exempt from rent and taxes, with savings passed to shoppers, while centralized warehousing and distribution would aim to reduce overheads.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

A seller on TikTok can sell toilet paper cheaper than a high street shop, she adds, because there are no overheads, no staff, and probably very little stock.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

I answered phones and made plasticene overheads and picked up dry cleaning and kids from day care.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

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