omission

noun

omis·​sion ō-ˈmi-shən How to pronounce omission (audio)
ə-
1
a
: something neglected or left undone
There are a few omissions in the list.
b
: apathy toward or neglect of duty
The police officer was reprimanded for the omission of his duty to inform the suspect of his rights.
2
: the act of omitting : the state of being omitted
Her omission from the team was surprising.

Examples of omission in a Sentence

There are a few omissions in the list. the disk contains a selection of deleted scenes, and a couple of the omissions greatly add to the intelligibility of the movie's plot
Recent Examples on the Web Johnson graciously described the omission of McCarthy’s name as a clerical error. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 While the new exhibition remedies the errors, omissions and egregious erasure of the earlier one, not mentioning this ugly precedent is another kind of erasure, and inexcusable. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 This omission irks some education activists, even those who admire Mr. Kozol. Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 That sin of omission has given online sleuths room to continue speculating about the bizarre circumstances around the image. Reece Rogers, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024 This omission of Black (and Indigenous) Argentines by an Argentinean writer is a noticeable lapse in a book that is otherwise remarkable in its ability to name the amorphous discomforts of modern love—and in its author’s willingness to imagine new ways of relating to one another. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 But following last year’s omission of any female filmmaker in the category, Anatomy of a Fall’s Triet received a nomination. Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors allege that the two men's negligent actions and omissions caused the capsizing and the two deaths. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 The Psychedelics in Society and Culture program aims to avoid those historical omissions. Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'omission.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English omissioun, from Anglo-French omission, from Late Latin omission-, omissio, from Latin omittere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of omission was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near omission

Cite this Entry

“Omission.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omission. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

omission

noun
omis·​sion ō-ˈmish-ən How to pronounce omission (audio)
ə-
1
: something omitted
2
: the act of omitting : the state of being omitted

Legal Definition

omission

noun
omis·​sion ō-ˈmi-shən How to pronounce omission (audio)
1
: something neglected, left out, or left undone
2
: the act, fact, or state of leaving something out or failing to do something especially that is required by duty, procedure, or law
liable for a criminal act or omission

More from Merriam-Webster on omission

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