Standard Lemma guide

spillover

noun · 3 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

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  • CMU ARPABET: S P IH1 L OW2 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

That which overflows; the excess or side effect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The spillover from the dam due to the heavy rains will run down this channel and harmlessly dump into that river, we hope.
  • The spillover from this war will be many little massacres of civilians by civilians.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The spread of infectious disease between different species of animal and particularly to humans.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(economics) any indirect effect of public expenditure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: consequence, effect, outcome, result, event, issue, upshot

History

Etymology

From spill + over.