noun
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something that has been omitted or neglected
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the act of omitting or the state of having been omitted
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of omission
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin omissiōn- (stem of omissiō ), equivalent to omiss ( us ) (past participle of omittere to let go; see omit) + -iōn- -ion; see mission
Explanation
If you make an omission, you leave something out. If you are a restaurant reviewer and you give a glowing review to a new restaurant but fail to mention that you own half of it, that's a significant omission. The noun omission comes from the verb, omit, which means to leave out. Omissions can be purposeful or a result of neglect. Was the omission of Aunt Suzy from your wedding invitation something you meant to do, or an accident? If you're cleaning the house but don't take out the garbage, you'll regret your omission when the garbage is stinking up the kitchen.
Vocabulary lists containing omission
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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Language and Grammar - Middle School
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Ethan Frome
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I sincerely regret any action, omission, misunderstanding or misinterpretation that may have resulted in a non-compliance with the order," a humbled Duale told the court.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Rodrigues de Freitas' death "makes the continuation of this omission unsustainable and unacceptable", the statement continued.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
In addition, the authors say selective use of photographs and the omission of potentially important factors, including human hunting, made it harder to determine what was truly driving changes in vegetation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026
An inquest jury into the teenager's death will look at whether any "act or omission by a police officer" caused or contributed to his death.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
But the omission is symptomatic of the complete failure to consider Indian motives, or even that Indians might have motives.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
