Overrule

//ˌəʊ.vəˈɹuːl// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To rule over; to govern or determine by superior authority. transitive
  2. 2
    rule against wordnet
  3. 3
    To rule or determine in a contrary way; to decide against; to abrogate or alter. transitive

    "His passion and animosity overruled his conscience."

  4. 4
    To nullify a previous ruling by a higher power. transitive

    "The line judge signalled the ball was in, but this was overruled by the umpire."

  5. 5
    To dismiss or throw out (a protest or objection) at a court. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
abolishabrogateannulbear reigncancelcountermand

Example

More examples

"Tom's stomach seems to overrule him at every turn."

Etymology

From over- + rule.

Related phrases

throw out

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.