overall agree

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "overall agree" is not standard in written English and may sound awkward.
It can be used when you want to express a general consensus or agreement, but it is better to use it in a more complete form, such as "I overall agree with the proposal." Example: "After considering all the points presented, I can overall agree that the new policy will benefit the team."

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

For age and gender, patterns overall agree across the two tables.

Health Economics Review

We have updated the corresponding text and figures in our manuscript to now represent the results of this new GO term analysis with expression bias correction (which overall agree quite well with the previous analysis) and also adjusted the methods description accordingly.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Across all 13 countries, there was no majority support for surveillance – only 26% of people, overall, agreed that the government should monitor the communications and Internet activity of its own citizens, while a similar number (29%) felt their government should monitor overseas citizens.

The Guardian

It overall agrees with the trend of cutting forces, but the magnitude of stress value change is less drastic.

Nanoscale Research Letters

The numerical prediction of the proposed finite element method model overall agrees with the experimental results of mechanical testing.

Computers & Structures

Similarly, students overall agreed that they enjoyed using the haptic device for learning and found the technology as easy to interact with.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

Finally, students overall agreed that they enjoyed using the haptic device for learning and found the technology as easy to interact with.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

The result of the FDM simulation for the coseismic deformation of the finite-fault source overall agrees with the analytic solution as demonstrated in previous studies (e.g., Wald and Graves 2001; Maeda and Furumura 2013).

Earth, Planets and Space

The hydrophobic hexamethylene ring binds to the above-mentioned pocket consisting of Trp48, Leu52, and Val53 from H3 of the i monomer, Lys 33 from H2 of the i + 1 monomer, and Leu24 and Thr27 from H2 of i + 2 monomer (Fig. 2D), and the position of hexamethylene overall agrees with the NOE data.

Protein & Cell

announced Monday that his offices will adopt the Obama administration's proposed overtime pay rules, regardless of whether Congress overall agrees to expand overtime pay eligibility for its staffers. .

Huffington Post

Republicans have overall agreed that the debt ceiling needs to be raised but have said they will not vote to raise the ceiling unless it is paired with major spending cuts and long-term debt reduction.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity, consider using more common phrases like "generally agree" or "broadly agree" instead of "overall agree".

Common error

Avoid using "overall agree" in highly formal contexts; opt for more polished alternatives such as "generally concur" or "broadly align" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "overall agree" functions as a qualifying expression indicating a general consensus or agreement, even if not absolute. As Ludwig explains, it can sound awkward and that it's better to use it in a more complete form. Therefore, it's commonly used to express partial or qualified affirmation.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "overall agree" is used to express a general agreement, with the understanding that some minor disagreements might exist. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is acceptable but not ideal, as it can sound awkward. While it appears in scientific and news media contexts, it’s less common in formal business settings. For improved clarity and impact, consider using alternatives like "generally agree" or "broadly agree". Although understandable, using phrases as "overall agree" should be done cautiously to ensure clear communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

generally concur

Replaces "overall agree" with synonyms that emphasize a general alignment of opinions.

broadly agree

Substitutes "overall" with "broadly" maintaining a similar sense of general agreement.

largely agree

Emphasizes that agreement is substantial but not necessarily complete.

mainly agree

Highlights the primary points of agreement while allowing for minor disagreements.

mostly agree

Indicates agreement on the majority of aspects or points.

generally in agreement

Rephrases the concept to focus on the state of being in agreement rather than the action of agreeing.

on the whole agree

Similar to "overall", but uses a slightly more formal tone.

agree in general terms

Specifies that the agreement is at a high level and not necessarily on every detail.

agree on the main points

Focuses specifically on agreement regarding the key or central ideas.

agree in principle

Indicates agreement on the foundational ideas but not necessarily on the specifics of implementation.

FAQs

What does "overall agree" mean?

The phrase "overall agree" means to generally or mostly agree with something, even if there might be some minor points of disagreement.

Is it better to say "overall agree" or "generally agree"?

"Generally agree" is often preferred as it's a more standard and widely accepted phrase in English. While "overall agree" is understandable, it can sound slightly awkward.

What are some alternatives to "overall agree"?

You can use alternatives like "broadly agree", "largely agree", or "mostly agree" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

How can I use "overall agree" in a sentence?

You might say, "We overall agree with the proposed plan, but we have a few minor concerns." However, consider using a more common phrase like "generally agree" for improved clarity and flow.