we overlooked it

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "we overlooked it" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to something that was missed or not noticed, often in a context of review or analysis. For example: "During the meeting, we overlooked it and didn't address the main issue." Alternative expressions include "we missed it" and "we failed to notice it."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"It's true we were opposed to the dancing and singing, because it is unacceptable morally and religious, a violation of the doctrine, but we overlooked it," he said.

The New York Times

"We overlooked it.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It holds that the discovery of blue underpants does confirm the hypothesis that all ravens are black, just by so little that we overlook it.

SEP

It helped persuade both Linda and me of one feature of the tooth fairy we had overlooked: it added a little magic to the girls' lives just as they were outgrowing princesses.

The New York Times

Almost everything has already been said, but perhaps there is something we have overlooked: it is completely unacceptable for the democratic clause laid down in the various agreements with third countries not to be observed to the letter.

EU Parlament

So while it's a tad piggy of you to claim eight, we'll overlook it as long as there's available seating for others.

The New York Times

An independent review of the JUPITER trial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that it was deeply flawed and the actual data did NOT show any benefit for the prevention of heart disease. iii) If this were an isolated incident, we could overlook it.

Huffington Post

Things like that happen everyday and we just overlook it!

WikiHow

"I just overlooked it.

The Guardian

They simply overlooked it.

The New York Times - Sports

She must have overlooked it.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In collaborative environments, using the plural "we" helps distribute accountability and focuses the conversation on correcting the error rather than assigning individual blame.

Common error

Do not confuse "we overlooked it" with "we looked it over". To overlook something means to fail to see it or ignore it, whereas to look something over means to examine or inspect it carefully. Using the wrong one can completely flip the meaning of your sentence in a report or email.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we overlooked it" functions as a transitive verb clause in the past tense. It consists of the first-person plural subject "we", the past participle of the verb "overlook" and the direct object pronoun "it". According to Ludwig, it is used to denote an action that happened in the past where a specific detail or fact was not noticed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "we overlooked it" is a perfectly correct and highly useful English phrase for admitting an unintentional omission. Ludwig AI confirms its presence across high-authority platforms, particularly in journalism and scientific reporting where researchers admit to variables they might have missed. It is distinguished from "we ignored it" by the lack of intent and from "we looked it over" by its meaning (missing something versus examining it). When writing, it remains a reliable choice for professional accountability without sounding overly apologetic.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we missed it

Uses a simpler, more common verb for general contexts.

it escaped our notice

Shifts the focus to the event itself, sounding more formal and slightly less apologetic.

we failed to notice it

Emphasizes the lack of perception in a more clinical or descriptive way.

we glossed over it

Suggests that the item was seen but not treated with the necessary depth.

we neglected it

Carries a stronger connotation of irresponsibility or lack of proper care.

we disregarded it

Implies a conscious decision to ignore the information rather than a mistake.

we passed it over

Often used when choosing not to select or acknowledge something specific.

we bypassed it

Suggests moving past something, often to save time or focus elsewhere.

we let it slip

An idiomatic expression suggesting a lapse in concentration or memory.

we ignored it

A direct way to state that no attention was paid, usually implying intent.

FAQs

How to use "we overlooked it" in a sentence?

You can use it to explain a missing detail, such as: "The error was minor, so we overlooked it during the initial review."

What can I say instead of "we overlooked it"?

Depending on the formality, you could use "<a href="/s/we+missed+it" target="_blank" rel="alternative">we missed it" for casual speech or "<a href="/s/it+escaped+our+notice" target="_blank" rel="alternative">it escaped our notice" for formal documentation.

What is the difference between "we overlooked it" and "we ignored it"?

"we overlooked it" implies the omission was accidental or an error of perception, while "<a href="/s/we+ignored+it" target="_blank" rel="alternative">we ignored it" suggests a deliberate choice to pay no attention.

Is "we overlooked it" formal enough for a business report?

Yes, it is a standard professional phrase. However, if you want to sound even more objective, you might use "<a href="/s/it+was+initially+overlooked" target="_blank" rel="alternative">it was initially overlooked" to use the passive voice.