Word
overall
Phoneticsover·all
/ˈoʊvɝˌɔɫ/
Sentence adverb
Definitions
01generally
B1 · Intermediate
adv. when you consider everything together; in general.
adv. taking everything into account; in view of all circumstances.
日本語:全体的※
“The exam was difficult, but overall I think I did quite well.”
“Overall, the project was a success, despite the initial delays and the unexpected budget cuts in the second quarter.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02total or general
B1 · Intermediate
adj. including everything; total.
adj. comprehensive or all-encompassing; relating to the whole of a situation.
日本語:トータル※
“The overall cost of the holiday was much higher than we expected.”
“The overall strategy focuses on long-term sustainability rather than immediate financial gains.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03protective clothing
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun British English
n. a piece of clothing like a suit that you wear over your normal clothes to keep them clean while working.
n. a protective garment worn over ordinary clothing, typically by manual workers; often used in the plural form in American English.
“The mechanic put on his blue overalls before he started fixing the car engine.”
“He hung his oil-stained overalls on the hook by the door after a long shift at the shipyard.”
Usage
In British English, the singular 'overall' often refers to a coat-like garment, while 'overalls' refers to a one-piece suit.
Teaching tip
Note that in American English, this almost always refers to trousers with a bib and straps, and is used in the plural.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “overall” in context.
Verb
01. overall indicate
“The latest figures overall indicate a steady recovery in the housing market.”
adv + verb
02. overall suggest
“The results overall suggest that the new marketing strategy is working well.”
adv + verb
03. perform overall
“The team managed to perform well overall, despite losing their best player.”
verb + adv
Adjective
04. overall procedure
“The overall procedure for applying for a visa has been simplified this year.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. barrier overall
“The workers wore a protective barrier overall to prevent chemical splashes.”
noun + noun
06. overall rate
07. overall health
08. overall cost
09. overall numbers
Real-World Examples
“In the end, Raphael finished as the overall runner-up.” “Overall, about 82 per cent of the structures – about 200,000 buildings – in Gaza are damaged, with two thirds of them destroyed, UNRWA said.” “Northern, Southern and Western Europe saw smaller increases, but at 15 per cent, the overall rate of youth unemployment across the three subregions remained very high.” Etymology
From Middle English overall, overal, from Old English ofer eall, ofer ealle (“over all”), equivalent to over + all. Compare Saterland Frisian oural, uural (“everywhere”), West Frisian oeral (“everywhere”), Dutch overal (“everywhere”), German Low German overall, överall (“everywhere; all over”), German überall (“all over; everywhere”), Danish overalt (“everywhere”), Swedish överallt (“everywhere; overall”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/overall
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0