Standard Lemma guide

overlap

noun · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • ōʹvə-lăp'
  • /ˈəʊvəˌlæp/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • ōʹvər-lăp'
  • /ˈoʊvɚˌlæp/
  • rhymes with -æp
  • ō'və-lăpʹ
  • /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/
  • ō'vər-lăpʹ
  • /ˌoʊvɚˈlæp/
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 V ER0 L AE2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something that overlaps or is overlapped.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a situation in the game where an attacking line has more players in it than the defensive line coming to meet it. The attacking side may exploit the overlap by using their superior numbers to break the opposition's defensive line. If attackers outnumber defenders by more than one player this is often termed a two man overlap or three man overlap, etc. If the attacking side fails to break through usually due to poor execution, they are said to waste an overlap.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, rugby, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The payment of a spouse's or other dependant's annuity benefits concurrently with the member's benefits, on death of the member during the guarantee period.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Qualifier: pensions

Topics: business, insurance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To extend over and partly cover something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • The mouse-mat overlapped the edge of the desk.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lap

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To co-occur, to happen at the same time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To have an area, range, character or function in common.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • The two maps overlapped at the east and west edges.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

Of sets: to have some elements in common.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The set (all men) overlaps the set (vegetarians).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To have some similar nucleotide sequences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

An illusion of depth is created when one object partially covers another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Topics: art, arts

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a flap that lies over another part

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the lap of the shingles should be at least ten inches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lap

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flap

Narrower terms: cuff, turnup, lapel, lappet

11

noun

Meaning 11

the property of partial coincidence in time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concurrence, coincidence, conjunction, co-occurrence

12

noun

Meaning 12

a representation of common ground between theories or phenomena

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there was no overlap between their proposals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: convergence, intersection

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: representation, mental representation, internal representation

Narrower terms: crossroads, interface

13

verb

Meaning 13

coincide partially or wholly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Our vacations overlap

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: coincide, co-occur, cooccur

Narrower terms: share

14

verb

Meaning 14

extend over and cover a part of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The roofs of the houses overlap in this crowded city

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover, continue, extend

Narrower terms: imbricate

History

Etymology

From over- + lap. Cognate with Dutch overlap.

Across languages

Translations

74 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: застъпване (zastǎpvane) — something that overlaps
  • Bulgarian: припокриване (pripokrivane) — something that overlaps
  • Dutch: overlap — something that overlaps
  • Esperanto: komunaĵo — something that overlaps
  • French: chevauchement — something that overlaps
  • Greek: επικάλυψη (epikálypsi) — something that overlaps
  • Indonesian: tumpang tindih — something that overlaps
  • Malay: pertindihan — something that overlaps
  • Russian: нахлёст (naxljóst) — something that overlaps
  • Russian: перекрытие (perekrytije) — something that overlaps
  • Scottish Gaelic: tar-iadhadh — something that overlaps
  • Spanish: solapo — something that overlaps
  • Spanish: traslapo — something that overlaps
  • Basque: gainjarri — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Bulgarian: застъпвам (zastǎpvam) — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Catalan: encavalcar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Catalan: encavallar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Chinese Mandarin: 重叠 (chóngdié) — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Dutch: bedekken — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Finnish: limittyä — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Finnish: olla osittain päällekkäin — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Finnish: limittää — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • French: chevaucher — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • German: überlappen — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • German: überlagern — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • German: überdecken — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • German: hinausragen über — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Greek: επικαλύπτω (epikalýpto) — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Indonesian: bertumpang tindih — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Indonesian: bertumpangtindih — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Italian: embricare — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Italian: accavallare — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Italian: sovrapporsi — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Latvian: pārklāties — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Māori: inaki — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Polish: pokrywać się — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Polish: zachodzić na siebie — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Portuguese: sobrepor — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Portuguese: cobrir — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Romanian: suprapune — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Russian: накрыва́ть (nakryvátʹ) — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Russian: перекрыва́ть (perekryvátʹ) — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: solapar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: traslapar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: asolapar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: imbricar — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Swedish: överlappa — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Vietnamese: chồng chéo — transitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: solaparse — intransitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: traslaparse — intransitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Spanish: imbricarse — intransitive: to extend over and partly cover something
  • Bulgarian: припокривам се (pripokrivam se) — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Czech: překrývat se — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Dutch: overlappen — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Finnish: mennä päällekkäin — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • French: se chevaucher — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • German: überschneiden — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • German: überlappen — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Greek: επικαλύπτομαι (epikalýptomai) — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Indonesian: bertumpang tindih — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Indonesian: bertumpangtindih — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Macedonian: се по́клопи (se póklopi) — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Russian: пересека́ться (peresekátʹsja) — to have an area, range, character or function in common
  • Dutch: overlappen — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • Finnish: leikata — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • French: avoir une intersection commune avec — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • German: schneiden — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • Greek: επικαλύπτομαι (epikalýptomai) — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • Russian: пересека́ться (peresekátʹsja) — (used of sets) to have some elements in common
  • French: se chevaucher — to have DNA parts in common
  • Italian: sovrapporsi — to have DNA parts in common
  • Portuguese: sobrepor-se — to have DNA parts in common
  • Spanish: superponerse — to have DNA parts in common
  • Spanish: sobreponerse — to have DNA parts in common
Real reading context

overlap in complete knowledge articles