omission

noun

omis·​sion ō-ˈmi-shən 

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.

Synonyms of omission

• deletion

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

Oakland did not release data showing how much money it’s brought in from its citations — a key omission, given that the city lacks the ability to enforce those penalties in any meaningful way. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

As over-21 players who are not currently in Alonso’s plans, Jackson, Delap, Mudryk and Tosin are at the biggest risk of omission, but Chelsea will not be forced to leave anyone out. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

After all, her recurring omissions for her role as Kim Wexler on Better Caul Saul is widely considered one of the biggest snubs in modern Emmy history. — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

It’s left to the audience to infer exactly what has transpired between them, but largely through omission, Wright’s script effectively articulates the burden of mental illness on family members. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for omission

• addition
• admission
• ambition
• attrition
• audition
• clinician
• cognition
• coition
• commission
• condition
• contrition
• dentition

Kids Definition

omission

noun

omis·​sion ō-ˈmish-ən 

ə-

1

: something omitted

2

: the act of omitting : the state of being omitted

Legal Definition

omission

noun

omis·​sion ō-ˈmi-shən 

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