adjective , adverb , noun
■ adjective
/ ˌəʊvərˈɔːl; NAmE ˌoʊ-/ [ only before noun ] including all the things or people that are involved in a particular situation; general :
the person with overall responsibility for the project
There will be winners in each of three age groups, and one overall winner .
an overall improvement in standards of living (= affecting everyone)
When she finished painting, she stepped back to admire the overall effect .
■ adverb /ˌəʊvərˈɔːl; NAmE ˌoʊ-/
1.
including everything or everyone; in total :
The company will invest $1.6m overall in new equipment.
2.
generally; when you consider everything :
Overall, this is a very useful book.
■ noun / ˈəʊvərɔːl; NAmE ˈoʊ-/
1.
( BrE ) [ C ] a loose coat worn over other clothes to protect them from dirt, etc. :
The lab assistant was wearing a white overall.
2.
overalls ( BrE ) ( NAmE cov·er·alls ) [ pl. ] a loose piece of clothing like a shirt and trousers / pants in one piece, made of heavy cloth and usually worn over other clothing by workers doing dirty work :
The mechanic was wearing a pair of blue overalls.
—compare boiler suit
3.
overalls [ pl. ] ( NAmE ) = dungarees