sobrescribe

Sobrescribe is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb sobrescribir, which means to overwrite or to write over something. The infinitive form is sobrescribir. The word derives from sobre, meaning over or above, combined with escribir, to write.

In general usage, sobrescribir describes the act of replacing existing text or data with new content. In computing and data management, it refers to writing new information in place of existing information, often resulting in the loss of the original data. For example, a program may sobrescribir an existing file if the user confirms the action.

Conjugation and formality: as a regular -ir verb, sobrescribir follows standard endings in tenses for its stem sobrescrib-. The present indicative forms are: yo sobrescribo, tú sobrescribes, él/ella/usted sobrescribe, nosotros/nosotras sobrescribimos, vosotros/vosotras sobrescribís, ellos/ellas/ustedes sobrescriben. The gerund is sobrescribiendo, and the past participle is sobrescrito, used in compound tenses or as an adjective (overwritten).

Related terms include sobrescripción (the act or process of overwriting) and sobrescritura (a less common synonym). In contrast to sobrescribir, verbs like conservar or guardar emphasize keeping existing data intact rather than replacing it.

See also: overwrite in computing contexts, data integrity practices, and terminology for data mutation.