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

• deletion
• elision

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

Records received by The Arizona Republic show Tony Cani, a Democratic campaign strategist, filed a complaint over the omissions with the Secretary of State's Office on Feb. 28. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024

And the part of the state's initial review process that should alert districts to general data errors or omissions was turned off last year, which is why Marshall said Springboro missed the appeal window. —The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024

Johnston wondered about that and asked Pirsig’s widow, Wendy, about the omission. —Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024

This is dangerous, and FAA must not view this latest omission in isolation. —Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

The business judgment rule, corporate process, directors’ and officers’ errors and omissions insurance all protect volunteers. —Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024

There are errors of omission, and of commission, in its depiction of WFB. —Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024

However, not mentioning the collection at the New-York Historical Society is a major omission. —Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

The biggest omission, according to medical experts, was the lack of cognitive testing. —Michael D. Shear Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

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

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