override

[ verb oh-ver-rahyd; noun oh-ver-rahyd ]

/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈraɪd; noun ˈoʊ vərˌraɪd /

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See synonyms for: override / overridden / overrides / overriding on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·rode, o·ver·rid·den, o·ver·rid·ing.

to prevail or have dominance over; have final authority or say over; overrule: to override one's advisers.

to disregard, set aside, or nullify; countermand: to override the board's veto.

to take precedence over; preempt or supersede: to override any other considerations.

to extend beyond or spread over; overlap.

to modify or suspend the ordinary functioning of; alter the normal operation of.

to ride over or across.

to ride past or beyond.

to trample or crush; ride down.

to ride (a horse) too much.

Fox Hunting. to ride too closely behind (the hounds).

noun

a commission on sales or profits, especially one paid at the executive or managerial level.

budgetary or expense increase; exceeding of an estimate: work stoppage because of cost overrides.

an ability or allowance to correct, change, supplement, or suspend the operation of an otherwise automatic mechanism, system, etc.

an auxiliary device for such modification, as a special manual control.

an act of nullifying, canceling, or setting aside: a congressional override of the president's veto.

Radio and Television Slang. something that is a dominant or major facet of a program or series, especially something that serves as a unifying theme: an entertainment series with a historical override.

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Origin of override

before 900; Middle English overriden to ride over or across, Old English oferrīdan.See over-, ride

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use override in a sentence

The older brother, Wilhelm, objects to the slaughter of Jews and prisoners but is overridden by Nazi zealots in command.
‘Generation War’ Lets World War II Germans Off Too Easily|Jack Schwartz|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That spring Clinton had overridden the advice of most of his advisors to endorse a balanced budget.
Shutdown Aversion: Republicans May Have Just Lost the House|Eleanor Clift|October 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Many other European countries have seen their press restrictions overridden by the wilderness of the Internet.
The Cowardice of French Anti-Semites|Euny Hong|October 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
They were not mentioned by name and their political rights were ignored and overridden.
The Lessons of Novembers Past|Saliba Sarsar, Hussein Ibish|October 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

“Passion for talent has been overridden today by greed,” he claimed when we had two days of conversations over Skype.
Billy Sammeth, the Manager Fired by Cher and Joan Rivers, Tells His Side of the Story|Kevin Sessums|February 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Marshal's political suggestions were unheeded and his military plans overridden.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Dorothy was opposed to the idea and she said so, but her opinion was overridden by the two men.
Hidden Gold|Wilder Anthony
To the south, the rocks are overridden by the inland ice which bears down upon and overwhelms them.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Modern streets and modern improvements have so overridden the village of old that traces of it are few and difficult to find.
Literary New York|Charles Hemstreet
The horses, moreover, were overridden and overloaded, and the persons by whom they were hired not rarely forgot to pay for them.
The History of the Post Office|Herbert Joyce

British Dictionary definitions for override

override

/ (ˌəʊvəˈraɪd) /

verb -rides, -riding, -rode or -ridden (tr)

to set aside or disregard with superior authority or power

to supersede or annul

to dominate or vanquish by or as if by trampling down

to take manual control of (a system that is usually under automatic control)

to extend or pass over, esp to overlap

to ride (a horse) too hard

to ride over or across

noun

a device or system that can override an automatic control

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

override

Origin of override

Words related to override

How to use override in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for override