oversight

noun

over·​sight ˈō-vər-ˌsīt How to pronounce oversight (audio)
1
a
: watchful and responsible care
you to whom oversight of the University is entrustedN. 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 intentionG. B. Shaw
The 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 Remarkably, Sutherland was never even nominated for a competitive Oscar, though the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made up for the oversight by giving him an honorary statuette in November 2017 at the Governors Awards. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024 Republican lawmakers are again raking the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the coals for lax oversight of potentially dangerous pathogen experiments. science.org, 19 June 2024 After Cheeks arrived in 2020 to lead CBS, he, McCarthy, then head of ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth division, and Robbins, at the time head of Nickelodeon before adding Paramount Pictures oversight in 2021, started a text chain and have maintained it ever since. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 June 2024 One bill, co-sponsored by the Teamsters, aims to mandate human oversight on driver-less heavy-duty trucks. Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for oversight 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oversight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of oversight was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near oversight

Cite this Entry

“Oversight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversight. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

oversight

noun
over·​sight -ˌsīt How to pronounce oversight (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on oversight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!