overdraft

noun

over·​draft ˈō-vər-ˌdraft 

1

: an act of overdrawing at a bank : the state of being overdrawn

also : the sum overdrawn

2

: line of credit

Examples of overdraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This money, if considered by the same lawmakers who have paid TSA in more than 40 days, would cover late fees, overdrafts, and even mental anguish. —Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

In some pockets, 25-feet-deep cracks furrow the ground, a result of an overdraft of groundwater from the bank of the earth. —Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026

These earned wage payday loan apps take $300 a year or more from people struggling to make ends meet, not counting the overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees that increase after people start using the apps. —Christopher Greenwood, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Yet in early July the bureau withdrew from a consent order that would have returned ninety-five million dollars in surprise overdraft fees to the military customers of Navy Federal Credit Union. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overdraft

• allograft
• autograft
• autographed
• countershaft
• handicraft
• homograft
• hovercraft
• lithographed
• photographed
• rotorcraft
• telegraphed
• understaffed

Kids Definition

overdraft

noun

over·​draft ˈō-vər-ˌdraft 

: an overdrawing of a bank account or the amount overdrawn

Legal Definition

overdraft

noun

over·​draft ˈō-vər-ˌdraft 

1

: the act or result of drawing on a bank account for more than the balance

also : the amount exceeding the balance in an overdraft

2

: a loan or credit extended on a current account especially to established or institutional customers