omission
noun
Omission — a mistake born from neglecting to include or address something
Definition
A mistake resulting from neglect
In depth
An omission is a mistake resulting from neglect, specifically the failure to include, mention, or address something that should have been part of a larger whole. The word implies a gap, the absence of something expected, whether in a document, a story, a list, or a course of action, the deliberate or careless leaving-out of a necessary part.
Origin
The word descends from Latin omittere, to let go or disregard, formed from ob- (toward) and mittere (to send or let go). That sense of deliberately letting something go, rather than simply failing to notice it, distinguishes omission from the gentler, more accidental 'oversight,' implying a more conscious, if still potentially careless, decision to leave something out.
Usage examples
"The report's omission of key financial details raised immediate questions among the auditors reviewing it."
"Her omission of any mention of the affair, in an otherwise candid memoir, struck readers as conspicuous."
"The contract's critical omission, discovered only after signing, led to months of subsequent legal dispute."
How to use it
Omission is widely useful across legal, literary, and journalistic writing, particularly valuable for describing the significance of what is absent or unmentioned, sometimes carrying as much weight, or more, than what was actually included.
Related concepts
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