omit
B2Neutral to formal; common in academic, business, and written English
Definition
Meaning
to leave something out; to not include something or someone intentionally or by accident
to fail to do something that you should do, to neglect a duty or action; to pass over or disregard something in a sequence
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries a nuance of intentional exclusion or accidental oversight. In the context of duties, it can imply neglect. Can be transitive or used in passive constructions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical; 'omit' is equally common in both varieties. Minor spelling differences in derived forms (e.g., 'omitted', 'omitting').
Connotations
None specific to either variety.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in formal written contexts in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
omit something (from something)omit to do something (formal/BrE legal context)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sins of omission”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reports and documents. 'We decided to omit the preliminary figures from the final presentation.'
Academic
Common in methodology sections and citations. 'The author chose to omit the controversial data set.'
Everyday
Less common but used. 'Don't omit the sugar from the recipe, or it won't taste right.'
Technical
Used in computing, law, and editing. 'The compiler will omit unused functions from the final binary.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please do not omit your signature from the form.
- He was criticised for omitting to declare a conflict of interest.
- The editor omitted several paragraphs for brevity.
American English
- You can omit the nuts from the recipe if you have an allergy.
- The report omitted key findings from the investigation.
- She omitted his name from the guest list intentionally.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial form. 'Omittedly' is non-standard.
- N/A
American English
- No standard adverbial form. 'Omittedly' is non-standard.
- N/A
adjective
British English
- No common adjectival form in use. 'Omissible' is extremely rare/technical.
- N/A
American English
- No common adjectival form in use. 'Omissible' is extremely rare/technical.
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Don't omit your name on the test paper.
- I omitted the salt from my soup.
- The article omitted some important facts.
- You should not omit any steps in the instructions.
- The director decided to omit the final scene from the film.
- He was accused of omitting crucial evidence from his testimony.
- The historian deliberately omits any discussion of the economic motives, focusing solely on the political.
- In summarising the treaty, one must be careful not to omit the nuances of the third clause.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Oh, I missed it!' sounds like the start of 'omit' (o-mit). It reminds you that you missed or left something out.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOURNEY/CREATION AS A PATH: Omitting is skipping a step on the path or leaving a piece out of the puzzle.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'omit'' (to allow) - Russian 'разрешать'.
- Avoid direct calque from 'опускать' (to lower/drop) in all contexts.
- Distinguish from 'пропускать' which can mean 'to miss' (a train) or 'to skip' (a lesson). 'Omit' is specifically for exclusion from content or lists.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'They omitted mention the problem.' Correct: 'They omitted to mention the problem.' or 'They omitted mentioning the problem.'
- Incorrect preposition: 'omit of the list'. Correct: 'omit from the list'.
- Spelling: Confusing double 'm' (omit -> omitted, omitting).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'omit' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Forget' is about failing to remember something. 'Omit' is about intentionally or accidentally leaving something out from a list, document, or action. You can forget to do something, but you omit an item from a list.
Yes, very commonly. E.g., 'His name was omitted from the credits.' or 'That detail is often omitted in summaries.'
Yes, but it is more formal and somewhat more common in British English, often in legal or formal writing. It means 'fail to do something'. In American English, 'omit' + gerund or a simpler structure is often preferred.
The main noun form is 'omission'. It refers to the act of omitting or the thing that has been omitted.