Words / C1

OHV-uh-syt/ˈəʊvəsaɪt/

Oversight is a failure to notice, or official supervision: an oversight in the form; regulatory oversight. Mistake is everyday for the first; supervision for the second. Overlook (this batch) is the verb of the “miss” sense. Do not hide a policy choice as “just an oversight”.

Meaning

A mistake of not noticing something; also official supervision.

Examples

• “Leaving the date off the consent form was an oversight, not a method.”
• “Leaving the date off the consent form was an oversight; deleting the arm was a choice.”
• “Two opposite-feeling senses: a miss, and watching over. Supervise is everyday for the second. An oversight committee is the supervision sense. A cut is not an oversight if someone signed it.”

Good to know

A miss; also watching over a process. Everyday: mistake / supervision. Verb cousin: overlook. Do not dress a decision as a slip.

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