MEANING
1. To reject or reverse a decision, objection, or ruling made by another authority.
2. In law, to disallow evidence or an objection as inadmissible or procedurally improper.
Use it for
Use for an authoritative rejection or reversal.Show a hierarchy asserting control over another person’s judgment.
Words that belong together
- overrule an objection
- overrule a decision
- overrule a judge
- overrule a motion
- overrule testimony
On the page
The chair overruled the objection before the witness could finish her sentence.
The judge overruled the objection and allowed the letter into evidence.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- overrule
- Past tense
- overruled
- Past participle
- overruled
- Present participle
- overruling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- overrule
- Present continuous
- am/is/are overruling
- Present perfect
- have/has overruled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been overruling
- Past
- overruled
- Past continuous
- was/were overruling
- Past perfect
- had overruled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been overruling
- Future
- will overrule
- Future continuous
- will be overruling
- Future perfect
- will have overruled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been overruling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Often used in legal or procedural settings; it implies an authority with power to decide. Sense 2: This technical legal sense is narrower than the general sense of reversing a decision.
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