overall

overall — adverb

1. taking every part of a situation together, not just one detail.

1.adverbB2
Definition

taking every part of a situation together, not just one detail.

Example

Overall, the trip was cheap and easy to plan.

sentence adverb: overall, + clause

The team played badly early on, but overall they deserved to win.

contrast before final judgment

Common collocations
  • overall, the...
  • do well overall
  • look good overall
  • improve overall
Synonyms
  • generally

    gives a broad summary, but often means 'in most cases' rather than after weighing everything

  • on balance

    stresses that good and bad points have been compared

  • all in all

    more conversational and common in spoken comments

  • broadly

    suggests an approximate summary and can sound less final

Antonyms
  • specifically

    focuses on one exact part instead of the whole picture

  • in detail

    adds particular points rather than a total judgment

Grammar Patterns

overall, + clause

[verb] overall

Usage Note

Often placed at the start of a sentence for a final judgment, but it can also come later, as in 'lower overall'. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which directly modifies a noun such as 'overall score'.

Common Mistakes

The overall, the team played well.
Overall, the team played well.
the adverb does not take 'the' before it.

overall — adjective

overall — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

For a final judgment about the whole picture, 'overall' is one of the most useful choices. 'Generally' is close, but it often means 'in most cases' instead of 'after considering everything'. 'On balance' is stronger when you want to show that good and bad points were weighed. 'All in all' is more conversational and often sounds personal in speech. 'Broadly' suggests an approximate summary and can feel less definite. Compare these: 'Overall, the project worked' gives the total result; 'On balance, the project worked' suggests there were both gains and problems; 'Generally, the project worked' can simply mean it worked in most situations.

overall ↗generally ↗on balance ↗all in allbroadly ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • overall plan
  • overall picture
  • overall score
  • overall result
  • overall cost

Phrases

  • overall, the...
  • do well overall
  • look at the overall effect
  • get an overall view

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Built in English from 'over' and 'all'. The adjective and adverb grew from the idea of looking at everything together, while the clothing noun originally referred to something worn over all the clothes underneath. Both parts of the word go back to Old English.