overrule
Americanverb (used with object)
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overrules,
present (3rd person singular)
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overruled,
past participle, past
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overruling
present participle
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to rule against or disallow the arguments of (a person).
The senator was overruled by the committee chairman.
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to rule or decide against (a plea, argument, etc.); reject.
to overrule an objection.
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to prevail over so as to change the purpose or action.
a delay that overruled our plans.
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to exercise control or influence over.
belief in a beneficent deity that overrules the universe.
verb
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to disallow the arguments of (a person) by the use of authority
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to rule or decide against (an argument, decision, etc)
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to prevail over, dominate, or influence
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to exercise rule over
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overrulesimple
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overrulessimple
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have overruledperfect
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has overruledperfect
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am overrulingprogressive
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are overrulingprogressive
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is overrulingprogressive
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have been overrulingperfect progressive
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has been overrulingperfect progressive
Past
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overruledsimple
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had overruledperfect
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was overrulingprogressive
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were overrulingprogressive
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had been overrulingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overrule
Explanation
In a court of law, when a judge overrules, she disagrees with an attorney's objection and allows the opposing side to go ahead with a line of questioning. In courtroom dramas, you'll hear lawyers yelling, "Objection!" followed by a judge declaring, "Overruled!" When the court overrules an objection, they're considering the legality of what the opposing attorney was saying and whether the objection was legitimate. If there was a valid legal reason to object, the judge would say, "Sustained." Judges can also overrule previous decisions made by lower courts. Before gaining its legal meaning, overrule simply meant "rule over or govern."
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.
See Examples For:
The amendment was originally ratified in the wake of the Civil War specifically to overrule the infamy of the Dred Scott decision.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Indeed, the majority’s opinion effectively tells Congress how to overrule today’s decision.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
They’ve also been intentional with how they leverage Luke Kennard, running actions that overrule his reluctance to shoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
Reddit also employs admins who can overrule moderators and delete subreddits.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
No influence, no friends I could call upon in that place, no way to overrule the powers that governed our lives.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Slaughter, the majority opinion said the “Humphrey’s framework has not withstood the test of time” and the court therefore overrules it.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The ruling overrules a previous Supreme Court judgment ruling known as Cheshire West.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
The agency overrules Vinay Prasad’s refusal to consider Moderna’s shot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Shirani's results indicate that the fact that the active catalytic subunit overrules its inhibitory components is what's important, not a structural change in the kinase itself.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
The former overrules the contention of Cyprian and his colleagues, that heretical or schismatical baptisms were invalid.
From A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Joseph Cullen Ayer
Courts overruled parents' wishes in just under half of those cases.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Pels, the DOJ spokesperson, told ProPublica that Faruqui “was wrong on the law” and noted that after the government appealed to the district’s chief judge, his order was overruled.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
A UC faculty task force recommended keeping the SAT in 2020, but the regents overruled it and voted to develop a UC-specific test that a committee later determined would take too long to create.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Dr. Prasad had overruled career staff by summarily refusing to review Moderna’s application.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
He wanted to call it George, after the British monarch, but was overruled.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
After oral arguments in the spring, the three judges issued a complex decision affirming Carter’s finding of discrimination but overruling his order invalidating UCLA’s lease for its baseball stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Another warning sign, she said: a project manager overruling the CEO about the payment method.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council noted that even as justices were skeptical, they appeared concerned about fallout from overruling the tariffs.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025
John Thune, the current majority leader, has expressed openness to a vote, and moderates like Sen. Susan Collins have not closed the door on overruling the parliamentarian.
From Slate ● May 14, 2025
“I am overruling these guards on this matter! You are obviously a part of this—of this conspiracy plot. I'm taking you in for questioning immediately!”
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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