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
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
George Bernard ShawThe error was a simple oversight.
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
Normally, these matters involve a team of career prosecutors whose participation provides internal oversight and helps insulate charging decisions from political pressures.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
The Iranian delegation would have been expected to be led by its soccer federation president Mehdi Taj, one of the most senior officials in Asian soccer and a member of two FIFA committees that have oversight of the World Cup.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
The ownership, location, and operation of these devices was subject to the oversight of parents, who also gave their children direct and deliberate instruction on the devices’ proper use.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2025
What authorities plan next Investigators are conducting a full-scale probe into material quality, site supervision, and oversight of renovations.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversight
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
The Iranian delegation would have been expected to be led by its soccer federation president Mehdi Taj, one of the most senior officials in Asian soccer and a member of two FIFA committees that have oversight of the World Cup.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
The ownership, location, and operation of these devices was subject to the oversight of parents, who also gave their children direct and deliberate instruction on the devices’ proper use.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2025
What authorities plan next Investigators are conducting a full-scale probe into material quality, site supervision, and oversight of renovations.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversight
Cite this Entry
“Oversight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversight. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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