oversight

American  

[oh-ver-sahyt] / ˈoʊ vərˌsaɪt /

noun

• oversights
  plural

1. an omission or error due to carelessness.

   My bank statement is full of oversights.

   Synonyms:

   slip, blunder, mistake

2. unintentional failure to notice or consider; lack of proper attention.

   Owing to my oversight, the letter was sent unsigned.

   Synonyms:

   inattention, neglect, lapse, slip, blunder, mistake

3. supervision; watchful care.

   a person responsible for the oversight of the organization.

   Synonyms:

   surveillance, control, direction, management

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oversight British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. an omission or mistake, esp one made through failure to notice something

2. supervision

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• oversights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of oversight

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; over- + sight

Explanation

An oversight is a mistake you make when you're not paying full attention. Your failure to add the sugar to the cookies was an unfortunate oversight — you were so engrossed in texting that you forgot it. Oversights are not intentional mistakes. Usually they're just the result of inattention. If you make an oversight in your inspection of a nuclear power plant and it later goes into meltdown, you'll get fired. An inspector is supposed to pay attention. But if you forgot your cousin's birthday because you're busy taking care of Grandma, that's a forgivable oversight. Oversight is also the act of supervising something, like the construction of a dam, or a high school prom.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oversight oversights

The California Coastal Commission requires that relocation studies be conducted as part of its oversight under the California Coastal Act, a law aimed at protecting the state’s 1,100-mile coastline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

With voter anxiety growing, the heads of major AI companies signed a White House accord on September 29 pledging independent audits and board-level oversight of cutting-edge models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Gareth Harry from NHS England told the inquiry their oversight was not 'ineffective'

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

It found that officials in the Ministry of Transportation were failing in their oversight in part due to manpower and budget issues, a person familiar with the report said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

These patches of disorder make no difference — it is a house too spectacular to suffer distraction, forgiving of oversight and mess.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Americans forgo untold sums of money every year on what some might call a laziness tax, for oversights like failing to refinance their mortgage or incurring a late fee after forgetting to pay a bill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

But many cases come down to small oversights — and the people caught off guard are often the ones who thought they had it taken care of.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Alejandro, the gas station attendant, said he felt there were "too few oversights" of mining projects.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

Mistakes or oversights in DOT regulations could lead to lawsuits or even injuries and deaths in the transportation system.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

And the messy apartment I was sure to walk into; the flight numbers and so forth left deliberately, so it now seemed, by the phone; both were oversights unworthy of Henry.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• control
• handling
• inspection
• maintenance
• management
• surveillance