overall
overall Lexical Profile
overall Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Taking everything into account; including all items, factors, or aspects as a whole.
"The overall cost of the renovation was slightly higher than we had originally budgeted."
• adverb
Taken as a whole; in all or most respects.
"Overall, the conference was a great success despite a few minor scheduling delays."
• noun
A sturdy one-piece or bibbed work garment worn over ordinary clothes for protection against dirt and heavy wear (usually used in the plural, 'overalls').
"The mechanic wore denim overalls stained with grease and motor oil."
British A loose-fitting protective outer garment resembling a coat or smock worn over regular clothing to keep it clean while working.
"The laboratory technician put on a clean white overall before beginning the experiment."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the single-word adjective or adverb 'overall' (meaning in total or generally) with the two-word prepositional phrase 'over all' (meaning above or across everything, as in 'she presided over all the meetings').
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as a compound of 'over' and 'all', originally used as an adverb meaning 'everywhere' before developing its modern sense of 'taking everything into account' in the 19th century.