oversight
noun
over·sight
ˈō-vər-ˌsīt 
1
a
: watchful and responsible care
… you to whom oversight of the University is entrusted …—
N. M. Pusey
b
: regulatory supervision
congressional oversight
The new manager was given oversight of the project.
2
: an inadvertent omission or error
… whether by oversight or intention …—George Bernard Shaw
The error was a simple oversight.
Examples of oversight in a Sentence
The fact that you didn't get an invitation is surely just an oversight.
The error was a simple oversight.
The new manager was given oversight of the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jaffery describes it as an unfortunate oversight and a prime example on the importance of having diverse voices at the table when making decisions.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 12, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has again required members of Congress to give prior notice before inspecting immigration detention facilities, issuing a new policy to bypass a court order that had blocked officials from restricting such oversight visits.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
While Pritzker and legislative leaders have called for stricter oversight of insurers, a proposal stalled last fall despite passing the Senate.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
The National Transportation Safety Board in June said inadequate training and management oversight had been among the problems at the company, according to its investigation into what led to the door plug blowout in January 2024.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Oversight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversight. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
oversight
noun
over·sight
-ˌsīt
1
: the act or duty of overseeing : supervision
have the oversight of a job
2
: an error or a leaving something out through carelessness or haste
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