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

The Bulls also did not hire a search firm during the 2020 hiring process, an omission that Reinsdorf said the team will amend this time. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

OpenAI’s paper conspicuously avoids specifying a corporate tax rate, a diplomatic omission that suggests the company knows where the political land mines are buried. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026

That omission ignores economic logic and common sense. —Brooke Creek, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026

By then, internal messages show, executives and board members had come to believe that Altman’s omissions and deceptions might have ramifications for the safety of OpenAI’s products. —Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 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