override
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to use your authority to change or cancel a decision that was already made.
v.to use one's authority to reject or cancel a decision, view, or command made by others.
Simple“The manager decided to override the team's choice and pick a different supplier.”
In context“The legislature successfully gathered enough votes to override the governor's veto, allowing the new environmental bill to become law.”
UsageOften used in political or corporate contexts where a higher power cancels a lower one.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop an automatic system from working so you can control it yourself.
v.to intervene in the operation of an automated system, typically to take manual control or to bypass a programmed safety limit.
Simple“In an emergency, you can override the automatic doors by pulling this red handle.”
In context“The pilot had to override the autopilot system when the sensors began providing conflicting data during the storm.”
UsageFrequently used with machines, software, and safety systems.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to be more important than something else, so that the other thing is ignored.
v.to prevail over or take precedence over another factor or consideration.
Simple“Safety concerns should always override the need to finish the job quickly.”
In context“The court ruled that the right to public safety must override the individual's right to privacy in this specific instance.”
Synonymsoutweighsupersede - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to write a new version of a computer instruction that replaces an older one.
v.to provide a new implementation of a method in a subclass that replaces the implementation inherited from a superclass.
Simple“The programmer had to override the default print method to include the company logo.”
In context“By overriding the base class method, the developer ensured that the specific child object handled data validation according to its unique requirements.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a switch or device used to take control of an automatic system.
n.a device or procedure used to counteract or bypass an automatic control system.
Simple“The technician used the manual override to open the gates during the power cut.”
In context“The system includes a fail-safe override that allows operators to shut down the reactor if the software becomes unresponsive.”
Synonymsbypassmanual control
“They override silent or "do not disturb" settings on your phone.”
“At their core, these are disputes about where the line falls between a harm serious enough to warrant control and a freedom too important to override.”
From Middle English overriden, from Old English oferrīdan, equivalent to over- + ride. Cognate with Dutch overrijden, German überreiten, Danish override.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.