# omission

/oʊˈmɪʃən/ (US) · /əʊmˈɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/omission
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. leaving something out

noun · CEFR B2

the act of not including something, or the thing that is missing.

For teachers: the act of excluding or failing to include something; also, the specific item or detail that has been left out.

- The editor noticed the omission of a key name from the guest list.
- The report was criticized for its glaring omission of the environmental impact data, which many felt was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of' to indicate what is missing.

### 2. failure to do a duty

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a failure to do something that you were supposed to do.

For teachers: the neglect or failure to perform an action that one is legally or morally obligated to do.

- The company was sued for its omission in providing safety equipment.
- Legal experts argued whether the accident was caused by a direct action or a negligent omission by the site supervisor.

Usage: Commonly paired with 'commission' in the phrase 'sins of commission and omission'.

### 3. shortening a word

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

leaving out a letter or sound in a word, often shown by an apostrophe.

For teachers: the deletion of a letter or sound from a word or phrase, typically represented by an apostrophe in writing.

- In the word 'don't', the apostrophe shows the omission of the letter 'o'.
- The poet used the omission of final consonants to mimic the specific regional dialect of the characters.

Usage: Used primarily in linguistics and grammar contexts.

## Examples

- The omission of her name from the list was a mistake.
- The editor noticed a glaring omission in the final chapter where the main character's fate was never explained.
- While the report was factually accurate, its strategic omission of the environmental impact data led many critics to accuse the committee of bias.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.