override

B2 · Upper Intermediate Technology

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.

“In an emergency, you can override the automatic doors by pulling this red handle.”

“The pilot had to override the autopilot system when the sensors began providing conflicting data during the storm.”

C1 · Advanced Academic

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.

“Safety concerns should always override the need to finish the job quickly.”

“The court ruled that the right to public safety must override the individual's right to privacy in this specific instance.”

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

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.

“The programmer had to override the default print method to include the company logo.”

“By overriding the base class method, the developer ensured that the specific child object handled data validation according to its unique requirements.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Technology

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.

“The technician used the manual override to open the gates during the power cut.”

“The system includes a fail-safe override that allows operators to shut down the reactor if the software becomes unresponsive.”