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

Perhaps the omissions of Hollywood A-listers Denzel Washington and Nicole Kidman were the biggest surprises, while there was disappointment for this particular author over the omission of Kneecap, the British-Irish biopic about the rap trio that has dominated chatter at indie festivals for months. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025

These omissions are not only morally wrong, but also are not conducive to the Trump administration’s own goals of reducing migration. —Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025

The Oscars cap their nominees at five per category (with the exception of best picture), leading, invariably, to some surprises and omissions — some egregious, some understandable. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Adrien Brody!), but many glaring omissions (Selena Gomez! —Eric Andersson, People.com, 23 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