Meaning & use
errors of omission
Last updated
Meaning
phraseplural
Failures that happen because someone did not do something they should have done.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it takes a plural verb: Errors of omission are common.
Patterns
- errors of omission in something
- make errors of omission
- avoid errors of omission
The report blamed the disaster on errors of omission: safety checks that were never carried out.
In medicine, errors of omission can be as dangerous as giving the wrong drug.
Her essay argued that history remembers errors of commission more than errors of omission.
Common combinations
- errors of omission and commission
- The study compared errors of omission and commission in financial decisions.
- a serious error of omission
- Leaving that warning out was a serious error of omission.
- guilty of errors of omission
- The committee was guilty of errors of omission for ignoring the evidence.
- errors of omission in a report
- The auditor found several errors of omission in the report.
Synonyms and how they differ
- oversight
- An oversight is a single mistake caused by not noticing something; errors of omission is a more formal, plural term often used in professional or academic contexts.
- neglect
- Neglect suggests a failure to care for someone or something over time; errors of omission focuses on specific missed actions.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: errors of omission or errors of commission?
errors of omission vs errors of commission
Errors of commission are mistakes made by doing something wrong, while errors of omission are mistakes made by not doing something.
Practice
The patient's death was blamed on ______: the doctor failed to order a necessary test.
Choose one answer.
The context describes a failure to act (not ordering a test), so 'errors of omission' fits. 'Errors of commission' would mean the doctor did something wrong. 'Omission errors' is not the standard phrase, and 'error of omissions' is grammatically incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “errors of omission”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.