Meaning & use
override
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To cancel or set aside a decision, rule or order by using higher authority.
Grammar: Takes an object: override the veto.
Patterns
- override a decision
- override someone's wishes
The manager overrode the committee's decision.
Congress can override a presidential veto.
Parents may override a child's choice for safety.
verbtransitive
To be more important than something else and therefore take priority over it.
Grammar: Often with concerns or interests as the subject.
Patterns
- something overrides something
Safety concerns override cost.
Her sense of duty overrode her fear.
In an emergency, the alarm overrides the volume setting.
verbtransitivetechnical
To take over an automatic system or setting by using manual control.
Grammar: Common in technology and aviation.
Patterns
- override the system
- override the controls
The pilot overrode the autopilot and landed by hand.
You can override the thermostat from your phone.
He overrode the lock with a master key.
nouncountabletechnical
A control or action that lets a person bypass an automatic setting.
Grammar: Stress shifts to the first syllable in the noun: an OVERride.
Patterns
- a manual override
- an override of something
The machine has a manual override for emergencies.
He pressed the override button on the gate.
The senators voted for an override of the veto.
Word forms
| third person singular | overrides |
|---|---|
| past tense | overrode |
| past participle | overridden |
| -ing form | overriding |
Common combinations
- override a veto
- The legislature voted to override the governor's veto.
- manual override
- The door has a manual override in case of power failure.
- override a decision
- The judge refused to override the earlier decision.
- override the system
- The technician overrode the system to restart it.
- override objections
- The chairman overrode objections and called the vote.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overrule
- Overrule is mainly used for authorities rejecting decisions, while override also covers machines and priorities.
- cancel
- Cancel simply ends something, whereas override suggests replacing it by stronger authority.
- supersede
- Supersede is formal and means to replace something outdated, not to defeat a choice.
- bypass
- Bypass means to go around something, while override takes control over it.
Opposites
Word family
- overriding adjective
- more important than anything else
- overridden adjective
- set aside by something stronger
- overrider noun
- a bumper attachment, rare British use
- overrule verb
- to reject a decision using authority
Commonly confused: override or overrule? override or overwrite?
override vs overrule
Overrule is used for people or courts rejecting decisions, but override applies to systems and priorities too.
override vs overwrite
Overwrite means to replace stored data with new data, which is not the same as taking over control.
Practice
Last year, the legislature voted to ___ the governor's veto of the budget.
Choose one answer.
To override a veto is to set it aside by using a higher majority. Overlook means to ignore or miss, overtake means to pass, and overheat does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “override”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.