Overshipping

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of sending more goods than required or ordered by a buyer ; the practice of delivering excess merchandise beyond the agreed quantity ; the situation where a supplier ships more products than intended or contracted
2. A condition where the amount of goods dispatched exceeds the specified order ; an instance of exceeding the shipment quantity originally requested ; the error or intentional sending of surplus items in a delivery process
3. Occurs when the volume of items supplied surpasses customer demand or contract terms ; the state of providing more products than necessary in a shipment ; the event of transferring beyond the designated quantity in logistics or commerce

Etymology: "Overshipping" is a plain formation: the verb "ship" with the prefix "over-", meaning "beyond what is required or allowed." "Over-" is an old English prefix, and "ship" traces back to Old English "scip," so the parts themselves are ordinary, long-established English. The compound is a transparent coinage from modern commercial and logistics vocabulary, where shipping quantities are measured against orders and contracts. The word describes sending more goods than a customer ordered or than a contract specifies. It is most often used in trade, supply chain management and customs contexts, where an excess shipment can trigger extra costs, returns or disputes over payment. The term's exact first appearance in print is not something I can confirm, so its precise date of entry into English is unknown.

Synonyms: overloading, excess shipping

Antonyms: undershipping