overriding
overriding Lexical Profile
overriding Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
More important than any other consideration; taking precedence over everything else.
"The committee's overriding priority was ensuring the long-term safety of the local water supply."
• verb
To use one's authority to reject, cancel, or supersede a decision, order, or restriction (present participle of override).
"By overriding the governor's veto, the legislature ensured the education bill would become law."
To interrupt the action of an automatic device or software setting in order to take manual control (present participle of override).
"The technician is currently overriding the default thermostat settings to test the cooling unit."
• noun
The act of canceling, superseding, or taking manual control over a previous decision or automated process.
"The sudden overriding of the automated navigation system required immediate attention from the flight crew."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'overriding' (taking precedence over all else) with 'overwriting' (replacing existing data or writing excessively).
• Rhymes for overriding
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'oferridan', meaning to ride across or trample down on horseback. The figurative sense of superseding or taking priority over other considerations emerged in the mid-19th century.