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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.

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

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

Chan raises Axiata’s 2025 and 2026 earnings estimates by 11% and 8%, respectively, to factor in lower overheads at XLSmart.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 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