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
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
George Bernard ShawThe 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
The deadly shootings in Minnesota, along with a legal fight that blocked lawmakers from conducting oversight visits at immigration detention centers, have galvanized Senate Democrats to block ICE's annual funding.
—Philip Wang, Time, 18 May 2026
The proposal called for AI and data centers to pay for their power and water needs, fund workforce stability initiatives and ensure human oversight of AI tools in critical sectors such as healthcare.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
There is currently no federal law mandating a minimum standard of care for youth residential treatment programs and oversight is largely left to individual states.
—Samantha Rappaport, CBS News, 18 May 2026
One effective leadership practice is to treat human-in-the-loop systems as continuous learning engines, not just oversight checkpoints.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oversight
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Philip Wang, Time, 18 May 2026
The proposal called for AI and data centers to pay for their power and water needs, fund workforce stability initiatives and ensure human oversight of AI tools in critical sectors such as healthcare.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
There is currently no federal law mandating a minimum standard of care for youth residential treatment programs and oversight is largely left to individual states.
—Samantha Rappaport, CBS News, 18 May 2026
One effective leadership practice is to treat human-in-the-loop systems as continuous learning engines, not just oversight checkpoints.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oversight
Cite this Entry
“Oversight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversight. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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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