oversight
OH-ver-syt
/ˈəʊ.və.saɪt/
1. An unintentional failure to notice or do something. 2. The state of being in charge of something.
This is a 'contronym'—a word that can mean its own opposite. It can mean 'supervision' or 'a mistake'.
The story behind the word. A combination of 'over' and 'sight'. It originally meant to 'look over' something. Eventually, it split into two meanings: 'looking over' as in supervising, and 'looking over' as in looking right past something and missing it.
Word relationships
- supervision: Supervision is always about watching over; oversight can also mean a mistake.
- omission: An omission is specifically something left out; an oversight is the failure to see it.
Commonly confused with
- negligence: An oversight is a single mistake; negligence is a pattern or a serious failure of duty.
Collocations
- regulatory oversight
- unfortunate oversight
- congressional oversight
- lack of oversight
Example sentences
- "The error in the budget was a result of an unfortunate oversight during the final review." A Mistake
- "The committee provided regulatory oversight to ensure the project stayed within legal boundaries." Supervision
Memory hook
If you 'Over-look' it, it's an 'Oversight' (mistake). If you have 'Over-sight', you are the boss. Looking over or looking past.
When not to use
Be careful with the context so the reader knows if you mean 'watching over' or 'missing something'.
Fun facts
- Oversight is one of the most common words used in government hearings to describe why a disaster happened.
Related words
Explore more words
inadvertent, negligence, inspection, inattention, sanction, stewardship
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