overrule

[ oh-ver-rool ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈrul /

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See synonyms for: overrule / overruled / overrules / overruling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·ruled, o·ver·rul·ing.

to rule against or disallow the arguments of (a person): The senator was overruled by the committee chairman.

to rule or decide against (a plea, argument, etc.); reject: to overrule an objection.

to prevail over so as to change the purpose or action: a delay that overruled our plans.

to exercise control or influence over: belief in a beneficent deity that overrules the universe.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of overrule

First recorded in 1570–80; over- + rule

OTHER WORDS FROM overrule

o·ver·rul·er, nouno·ver·rul·ing·ly, adverbun·o·ver·ruled, adjective

Words nearby overrule

override, overrider, overriding, overripe, overruff, overrule, overrun, overrun brake, oversaturated, overscale, overscore

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

How to use overrule in a sentence

If there are five justices who wish to overrule decisions like those of Atkins, Roper, and Miller, Jones potentially presents them with a way to do it.
7 big cases the Supreme Court will hear in its new term, explained|Ian Millhiser|October 1, 2020|Vox
One report said Leach’s interview for the Tennessee job “went very well,” and another indicated that then-athletic director John Currie was prepared to hire Leach but was overruled by the administration.
Is The SEC Ready For The Air Raid? Mike Leach Sure Thinks So.|Jake Lourim|September 30, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
If FDA career scientists get overruled by political appointees, that would also be a major sign of political pressure.
How to Tell a Political Stunt From a Real Vaccine|by Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson|September 26, 2020|ProPublica
Let me give me you the three reasons why we think it should be overruled, and it was a very nice generous thing to do.
‘Skim milk’ marriages not enough: Ginsburg remembered as LGBTQ ally|Chris Johnson|September 21, 2020|Washington Blade

When they failed, thanks to a maneuver granted by a recent state law that allows a few large cities that represent a majority of the county’s population to overrule the rest of the board, they walked out.
Politics Report: What Comes Next for Sports Arena|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|July 11, 2020|Voice of San Diego
He tried to contact a Health Republic doctor to overrule the nurse and get approval for payment.
My Insurance Company Killed Me, Despite Obamacare|Malcolm MacDougall|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First, he maintains that enactment of such a law “would overrule a historic Supreme Court decision.”
Democracy Demands a Journalist-Source Shield Law|Geoffrey R. Stone|April 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If all the mild mutineers could be induced to cling together, they could easily overrule Howe and his party.
Down the Rhine|Oliver Optic
I think it right to state the facts, because it shows how wonderfully God's grace can overrule.
Gathering Jewels|James Knowles and Matilda Darroch Knowles
Hope they'll overrule it—make a lot of difference to me if they don't.
Lyre and Lancet|F. Anstey
It will, of course, overrule any conflicting view of the Provost-Marshal-General, if there be such.
The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume Six|Abraham Lincoln
We know the court that made it has often overruled its own decisions, and we shall do what we can to have it to overrule this.
The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume Two|Abraham Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for overrule

overrule

/ (ˌəʊvəˈruːl) /

verb (tr)

to disallow the arguments of (a person) by the use of authority

to rule or decide against (an argument, decision, etc)

to prevail over, dominate, or influence

to exercise rule over

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

overrule

Origin of overrule

OTHER WORDS FROM overrule

Words nearby overrule

Words related to overrule

How to use overrule in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overrule