oversight
Americannoun
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an omission or error due to carelessness.
My bank statement is full of oversights.
-
unintentional failure to notice or consider; lack of proper attention.
Owing to my oversight, the letter was sent unsigned.
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supervision; watchful care.
a person responsible for the oversight of the organization.
- Synonyms:
- surveillance, control, direction, management
noun
-
an omission or mistake, esp one made through failure to notice something
-
supervision
Etymology
Origin of oversight
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.
Yet history shows that the same mechanisms that promise broader opportunity often introduce new risks that demand tighter oversight.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The former congresswoman, who gained fame for her aggressive questioning of chief executives and Trump administration officials while in Congress, also pointed to her longtime focus on oversight.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
NASA’s inspector general repeatedly has faulted supplier performance and how officials conducted oversight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In contrast to the pre-2008 period, large U.S. banks now are operating from a position of strength, supported by more than a decade of regulatory reform and oversight.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
But there was no such federal oversight at the time.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
