overall

Universal Words adjective, adverb, noun adjective [onlybeforenoun] 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 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 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) (AmE coveralls) [pl.] a loose piece of clothing like a shirt and trousers/pants in one piece, made of heavy fabric and usually worn over other clothing by workers doing dirty work: The mechanic was wearing a pair of blue overalls. compareBOILERSUIT 3 (overalls) [pl.] (AmE) = DUNGAREES