Overridden

Overridden is the past participle of the verb override. It can function as an adjective or a past-tense form, indicating that something has been superseded, defeated, or given higher priority by a later action or authority. When something is overridden, the original rule, decision, or signal is effectively displaced.

In grammar, overridden occurs in perfect tenses or as a participial adjective. For example, "The prior rule was overridden by the new regulation." It signals a change in which an earlier directive no longer governs the situation.

In software engineering, overridden describes a subclass method that provides a new implementation of a method defined in a base class. The subclass version is invoked in place of the base version for objects of the subclass. Many programming languages use explicit mechanisms to mark or enforce an override, signaling intended behavior changes.

In legal, regulatory, or policy contexts, override denotes the act by which a higher authority or later policy supersedes a previous one. Examples include a constitution or statute overriding a conflicting regulation, or executive decisions overridden by court rulings or legislative action.

Common related terms include override, supersede, and precedence. The meaning of overridden relies on context to distinguish between defeating, superseding, or simply taking precedence over an earlier directive.