overlap
B2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
to cover something partly by extending over its edge.
to coincide or correspond partially in time, responsibility, or nature.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can describe both physical positioning and abstract concepts like ideas or responsibilities.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The past tense/past participle 'overlapped' is standard in both.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Common in both varieties; slightly more frequent in academic/technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP overlap (with NP)NP overlap NPThere is an overlap between NP and NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No specific idioms; used literally and figuratively.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Describes overlapping roles, project phases, or market segments.
Academic
Describes overlapping data sets, theories, or historical periods.
Everyday
Describes roof tiles, schedules, or shared interests.
Technical
In geometry/computing, describes intersecting regions or data.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The two meetings overlap, so I can't attend both.
- Make sure the roof slates overlap properly.
American English
- Our vacation schedules overlap by three days.
- The canvasser's territory overlapped the county line.
adverb
British English
- The papers were arranged overlappingly on the desk.
- The shifts ran overlappingly to handle the rush.
American English
- Tiles should be laid overlappingly for best results.
- The events were scheduled overlappingly by mistake.
adjective
British English
- We need an overlapping schedule to ensure coverage.
- The overlapping tiles created a waterproof seal.
American English
- She has overlapping responsibilities in both departments.
- The report highlighted overlapping areas of concern.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The two carpets overlap on the floor.
- Our lunch breaks overlap.
- Our interests overlap in several areas.
- The manager said our duties shouldn't overlap.
- There is a significant overlap between the two political parties' policies.
- The Venn diagram shows where the datasets overlap.
- The historian argued that the epochs overlapped more than traditionally assumed.
- Quantum states can overlap in ways that defy classical intuition.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine two friends, LAPis and LAPsy, sitting on a sofa. Their LAPs OVER each other – they OVERLAP.
Conceptual Metaphor
COVERING IS OCCUPYING THE SAME SPACE / COINCIDENCE IS OVERLAP.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating as 'перекрывать' only in physical sense; abstract 'совпадать' is often better.
- Don't confuse with 'overlay' (накладывать поверх).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'Our holidays are overlapping for two days.' Correct: 'Our holidays overlap for two days.'
- Incorrect stress: 'OVERlap' (noun) vs. 'overLAP' (verb).
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, 'overlapping responsibilities' most likely leads to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is common as both, but slightly more frequent as a verb in general corpora.
'Coincide' suggests perfect alignment in time or space. 'Overlap' specifically means only partial coincidence.
Yes, figuratively: 'Their skill sets overlap significantly.' Not usually for physical people overlapping.
Noun: stress on first syllable (OVERlap). Verb: stress on last syllable (overLAP). This is a common stress pattern shift in English.