Overrides

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Exerts authority to overrule or take priority over a rule or decision ; replaces an existing function or setting with another
2. Acts to cancel or supersede an existing instruction or regulation ; substitutes a default setting or procedure with a different one
3. Supplants a previous command or restriction by exercising higher control ; modifies or changes a programmed function or preset option

Etymology: "Overrides" is the third-person singular present form of "override," so the history belongs to the verb itself. Its roots are old and plain: Old English "oferrīdan" combined "ofer," meaning "over" or "beyond," with "rīdan," meaning "to ride," so the original sense was literally riding over something or someone. That physical image of one rider passing over another carried into Middle English as "overriden," and the sense of riding down or trampling gradually gave way to the figurative idea of one authority riding over another's decision. The same pattern appears in neighboring languages. Dutch "overrijden," German "überreiten," and Danish "override" all share the construction of "over" plus "ride," which points to a common Germanic model for the compound. The modern computing and administrative senses, where a higher command or setting supersedes a lower one, are a later extension of that old picture of one force riding over another.

Synonyms: cancels, nullifies, supersedes, overrules, annuls

Antonyms: enforces, upholds, maintains, supports, validates