overall

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹɔːl/ See IPA manual

Freq #8065

Meanings

1

adv
Generally; when everything is considered.

Overall, the trip was a great success.
2

adj
Including everything; total.

The overall cost of the project was higher than expected.
3

noun
A piece of protective clothing with trousers and a bib, worn over other clothes for dirty or manual work.

The mechanic wore a pair of greasy overalls.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · generally; when everything... mostly

2 adj · including everything; total. total entire whole

3 noun · a piece of protective... boilersuitcoverall

More overslopslop

Word family

Derived forms overalled

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

overall picture
the complete view of a situation, including all the main parts

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”).

overall Middle English ofer eall Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# overall

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adv, adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹɔːl/
**Frequency rank:** 8065

## Meanings
1. Generally; when everything is considered.
2. Including everything; total.
3. A piece of protective clothing with trousers and a bib, worn over other clothes for dirty or manual work.

## Examples
- Overall, the trip was a great success.
- The overall cost of the project was higher than expected.
- The mechanic wore a pair of greasy overalls.

## Synonyms
- overslop
- slop

## Derived Forms
- overalled

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: overall
- Root: ofer eall

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Overall comes 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”). The historical chain includes Middle English overall and Old English ofer eall. Modern senses include generally; when everything is considered and including everything; total. The wider word family includes derivatives such as overalled.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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