override
This term conveys a sense of dominance or displacement, where a superior force or a higher priority pushes aside an existing rule or process. In legal or political contexts, it describes the exercise of power to nullify a previous decision, carrying a connotation of authoritative correction or reversal.
In technical and mechanical settings, the word shifts toward a functional necessity, describing the act of bypassing automated logic to regain human agency. As a noun, it refers to the specific mechanism or command used for this purpose, often associated with emergency protocols or safety overrides.
Meanings
To use one's authority to reject or cancel a decision, law, or order made by another person or body.
The senate voted to override the president's veto.
To be more important than something else, causing it to be ignored or superseded.
The need for immediate safety must override all other considerations.
Phrasal Verbs
override manually
to take control of an automatic system by hand
The operator had to override manually the system when the sensor failed.