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
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.
"Omission, negligence or incompetence, it's the same," she said.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Omission of the funding arrives as the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office projects a state budget shortfall of $73 billion — an estimate that has ballooned by $15 billion since last month.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024
Omission plagues the polar canon, and this book is no exception.
From Scientific American • May 27, 2022
"Omission cases are really tough, because we know that the businesses can't tell us everything that might be relevant to any particular consumer — they have to pick and choose what information they expose."
From Salon • May 22, 2021
Omission, Pearl decided, was not the same as lying.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
