Meaning & use
omission
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Meanings
nouncountable
Something that has been left out or not included, whether on purpose or by mistake.
Grammar: Count it when naming the missing item: a glaring omission.
Patterns
- an omission from something
- the omission of something
The omission of her name from the list upset her.
There is one serious omission in the report: the cost.
Please tell us about any errors or omissions.
noununcountable
The act of leaving something out or the state of not being included.
Grammar: Often followed by of: the omission of the final chapter.
Patterns
- omission of something
Omission of key facts can mislead readers.
The editor approved the omission of the last paragraph.
Deliberate omission is a common way to hide the truth.
nouncountable or uncountablelegal
A failure to do something you were required to do, which may carry legal responsibility.
Grammar: Often contrasted with commission: acts and omissions.
Patterns
- an act of omission
- guilty of omission
The nurse's omission to check the chart led to an inquiry.
The judge distinguished between acts and omissions.
Liability can arise from omission as well as action.
Word forms
| plural | omissions |
|---|
Common combinations
- a glaring omission
- Leaving out the safety warnings was a glaring omission.
- sin of omission
- Not telling her the truth was a sin of omission.
- errors and omissions
- The software is sold with a note excusing errors and omissions.
- by omission
- The article lied by omission.
- a notable omission
- The film's biggest star was a notable omission from the awards list.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exclusion
- Exclusion suggests a deliberate choice to keep something or someone out, while omission can be an accident.
- oversight
- Oversight always implies a mistake, while omission can also be intentional.
- gap
- Gap names the empty space left, not the act of leaving something out.
- deletion
- Deletion means removing something that was already there, while omission is never including it.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: omission or commission? omission or emission?
omission vs commission
Commission means doing or ordering something, or a fee paid on sales; in law it is the opposite of omission.
omission vs emission
Emission means a release of gas or light, while omission means leaving out.
Practice
A recipe forgets to list the sugar. What is this?
Choose one answer.
Leaving something out is an omission. Emission is a release of something, commission is a fee or order, and permission means approval.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “omission”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.