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

Works transposed into foreign languages—and cultures—inevitably suffer omissions and distortion. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025

Knowledge of Error or Omission Currently, practitioners must advise clients of any noncompliance with tax laws or any error or omission on a tax return or other document submitted to the IRS—and the consequences. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Defensive stalwart Kyle Walker's omission was a topic of conversation before and after City's resounding victory, with City boss Pep Guardiola admitting that his longtime defensive mainstay had asked for the opportunity to move on from the club. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025

Questions about those omissions had spread in conservative circles for more than a year, and were teed up for use by Republican political strategists well before Judge Griffin’s November loss. —Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

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