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

—G. B. Shaw

The error was a simple oversight.

Synonyms

• management
• supervision
• administration
• control
• operation
• 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

My experience shows that with careful planning, responsible AI practices and human oversight, agentic AI not only addresses today’s support challenges but also paves the way for entirely new service models. —Varun Milind Kulkarni, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Arizona passed a law creating an independent oversight office for state prisons. —Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2025

Different college oversight rules Trump's new legislation additionally tasks the Education Department with enforcing a framework for holding colleges and universities accountable for getting students well-paying jobs after graduation. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 July 2025

However, LLMs are still really experimental, so they should be used with stringent oversight. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 July 2025

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