oversight

noun

over·​sight ˈō-vər-ˌsīt 

1

a

: watchful and responsible care

… you to whom oversight of the University is entrusted …

—N. M. Pusey

b

: regulatory supervision

congressional oversight

The new manager was given oversight of the project.

2

: an inadvertent omission or error

… whether by oversight or intention …

—George Bernard Shaw

The error was a simple oversight.

Synonyms of oversight

• management
• supervision
• control
• operation
• administration
• handling
• stewardship
• government
• direction
• governance

Examples of oversight in a Sentence

The fact that you didn't get an invitation is surely just an oversight.

The error was a simple oversight.

The new manager was given oversight of the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Road accidents kill thousands in Bangladesh every year, due to a combination of poor road conditions, unskilled driving and inadequate oversight of traffic rules. —Adam England, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026

In both cases, VA oversight failures allowed the fraud to continue for years. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026

Businesses that continue treating these payments as charitable contributions without evaluating § 162 alternatives are likely leaving real tax value behind - not as a one-time oversight, but year after year. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

Henceforth, habeas corpus came to be used primarily as an instrument of federal oversight into state court decision making. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oversight

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Kids Definition

oversight

noun

over·​sight -ˌsīt 

1

: the act or duty of overseeing : supervision

have the oversight of a job

2

: an error or a leaving something out through carelessness or haste