overriding

USAGE SUMMARY

"overriding" is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is a verb that means to take precedence over something else, or to supersede something else. For example, you might say: "The employee's safety concerns were overriding, and the project was stopped immediately."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But it may not be right for everyone and I'd hate to have a system in which pushy parents demanded home births, overriding the professionals' advice.

The Guardian - Opinion

Improving people's life chances was the coalition government's "overriding social policy goal", he added.

The Guardian

Yet overriding popular local politicians would take bravado from the government and the utilities.Besides, the LDP itself contains many more critics of nuclear power than it did before March 2011, countering the influence of nuclear backers such as the economy minister, Akira Amari.

The Economist

He is one of the centrists whom Mr Bush will need if he is to work across party lines, so this ritual hazing hardly boded well.The Republican senators then gave their leader, Bill Frist, an instrument for enforcing party discipline: he may now fill some vacancies on committees himself, overriding traditions of seniority.

The Economist

Congress, should it so choose, can pass a law overriding them in favour of whatever alternative immigration policies it wants.

The Economist

Overriding objections from pious constituents, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party has just restored an ancient Armenian church in eastern Turkey.

The Economist

This one set of numbers, in other words, does little to prove that speculators are overriding market fundamentals to influence prices.

The Economist

Mr Eggers puts most of the blame for this, however, not on the mayor but on the unruly city council, which routinely opposes any reform that might upset the public-sector unions and is currently bent on overriding the mayor's veto and securing a minimum wage for city employees.The city's antiquated constitution puts a great deal of power into the council's hands.

The Economist

The ECJ ruled in Santa Casa's favour, stating that "restrictions on the freedom to provide services may be justified by overriding reasons relating to the public interest".

The Economist

Far from using the Social Security surplus to pay down debt or restructure America's pension system a goal both parties claimed to be overriding only nine months ago Mr Bush's budget uses the surplus to pay for defence spending and, particularly, tax cuts.

The Economist

It also did well because many would-be Fatah candidates grew so sick of the old leadership's habit of overriding internal primaries and imposing its own people that they ran independently, thus splitting the vote for the party.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "overriding", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being superseded and what is taking its place to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "overriding" when you simply mean 'important' or 'significant'. "Overriding" specifically implies that something is taking precedence over something else, not merely that it is of high importance.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "overriding" is as a verb, specifically as the present participle or gerund form of 'override'. It is also used as an adjective to describe something that is dominant or takes precedence. Ludwig AI confirms its usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "overriding" is a versatile term primarily functioning as a verb or adjective to denote something that takes precedence. Ludwig AI indicates that "overriding" is a correct and frequently used word in written English. Its prevalence across diverse sources like The Guardian and The Economist, combined with its neutral register, underscores its broad applicability. To ensure clarity, always specify what is being superseded. While alternatives like "superseding" exist, "overriding" offers a direct way to convey the dominance of one factor over others.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Superseding

This term implies a direct replacement or taking over the role of something else, similar to "overriding" but with a stronger sense of succession.

Taking precedence over

This phrase explicitly states the act of having higher priority or importance, directly mirroring the hierarchical aspect of "overriding".

Negating

This term describes canceling out or nullifying the effect of something, which is a more forceful form of "overriding".

Nullifying

This suggests making something invalid or without legal force, akin to "overriding" a previous decision or rule.

Setting aside

This phrase suggests temporarily ignoring or dismissing something, similar to "overriding" in specific contexts.

Countermanding

This term specifically refers to reversing an order or decision, directly applicable in contexts of authority and command.

Reversing

This indicates a complete turnaround of a decision or process, similar to "overriding" in that it changes a previous course of action.

Annulling

This implies declaring something void or invalid, similar to "overriding" a legal agreement or regulation.

Disregarding

This means ignoring or paying no attention to something, which can be a weaker form of "overriding" when not strictly enforced.

Ignoring

This simply means not paying attention to, similar to disregarding but with even less emphasis on active cancellation.

FAQs

How do you use "overriding" in a sentence?

You can use "overriding" to describe something that takes precedence over another thing. For example, "The need for safety was the "overriding concern"."

What can I say instead of "overriding"?

Alternatives for "overriding" include "superseding", "taking precedence over", or "negating", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "overriding priority"?

Yes, "overriding priority" is a correct and commonly used phrase to emphasize that something is the most important concern.

What's the difference between "overriding" and "important"?

"Important" simply denotes significance, while "overriding" signifies that something is more important than other considerations and therefore takes precedence. It has a sense of "superseding" something else.