voice-over
Americannoun
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the voice of an offscreen narrator, announcer, or the like.
-
a televised sequence, as in a commercial, using such a voice.
-
any offscreen voice, as that of a character in a narrative.
noun
Etymology
Origin of voice-over
First recorded in 1945–50
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 the early years of television, voice-over introductions to shows and their casts were a necessity of the medium.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
The heightened nature of Gaylord’s and Nikolić’s performances, off-putting in the voice-over scene, are a blast when the worlds of the play finally merge.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Faison: When we did the table read, I laughed so hard when the first voice-over kicked in, when Zach read the voice-over.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026
Inspired by the popularity of the Japanese “Iron Chef” broadcast with an English voice-over, Food Network created an American adaptation, “Iron Chef America,” which premiered in 2005 and continued until 2018.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
A voice-over kicks in atop footage of the girl doing perfectly normal human things, like, walking and eating.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
