willful oversight

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "willful oversight" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone intentionally ignores or overlooks something, often implying negligence or a deliberate choice to not pay attention. Example: "The company's willful oversight of safety regulations led to several accidents on the job site."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The suit is in Canada, and has to do with Canadian royalties law, but I guarantee there are people scouring the RIAA's records right now looking for a willful oversight like this.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Torture, rendition, foreign policy blunders, and finally the economic meltdown of 2008, arguably the result of ten years of financial deregulation and a willful lack of oversight.

Huffington Post

Institution-building should be insulated from the diplomatic squabbles of the negotiations by willful political decisions and oversight by the Quartet and its constituent members.

Huffington Post

Sanders lamented the depth of corporate greed underpinning the current American financial system, which he said, coupled with a lack of oversight or willful ignorance from politicians, led to the 2008 financial crisis, "the worst economic decline since the 1930s" in the US.

Vice

But the April 2006 letter, which had not been previously disclosed, showed they accused development officials of approving the hiring of Galt not in an unwitting oversight but in a willful effort to bypass their warnings.

The New York Times

Well, fine, in one 12-month period ending in 2012 there were 2,776, but that's just proof of oversight and none were willful!

TechCrunch

Is Wills's blindness willful?

The New York Times

These evidentiary "oversights" vividly expose the willful blindness of the business model reformers to the social and economic forces at play in their communities.

Huffington Post

ALEXANDER: This is a report issued by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in 2012 in support of the reauthorization of the 2008 amendments to FISA, and I quote, "Through four years of oversight, the committee has not identified a single case in which a government official engaged in willful effort to circumvent or violate the law".

Huffington Post

"Congressional oversight depends on truthful testimony – witnesses cannot be allowed to lie to Congress," wrote representatives James Sensenbrenner, Darrell Issa, Trent Franks, Raul Labrador, Ted Poe, Trey Gowdy and Blake Farenthold, citing "Director Clapper's willful lie under oath".

The Guardian

Willful distortion?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "willful oversight" when you want to emphasize the intentional nature of neglecting a duty or responsibility. It implies a conscious decision to ignore something important, often with negative consequences.

Common error

Avoid using "willful oversight" when the neglect is unintentional or due to simple error. "Willful" implies a deliberate choice, so ensure the context supports this.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "willful oversight" functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes a specific type of negligence or failure, emphasizing its intentional nature, as supported by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "willful oversight" is a noun phrase that describes the act of intentionally neglecting a duty or responsibility. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and suitable for formal contexts like news and media. While relatively rare in usage, it carries a strong connotation of deliberate negligence, making it essential to use it accurately. Alternatives include "deliberate negligence" or "intentional disregard", but the core meaning remains consistent: a conscious decision to ignore something important.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deliberate negligence

Focuses on the neglectful aspect being intentional.

intentional disregard

Highlights the conscious choice to ignore or dismiss something.

conscious neglect

Emphasizes the awareness of the neglect.

knowing dereliction

Implies a breach of duty with full awareness.

purposeful inattention

Stresses the deliberate act of not paying attention.

calculated neglect

Suggests that the neglect was planned or premeditated.

willful blindness

Highlights ignoring something obvious or important.

deliberate omission

Focuses on the intentional act of leaving something out.

intentional failure to supervise

Places stress on failing to supervise, and intentionally so.

calculated indifference

Focuses on the intentional lack of care or concern.

FAQs

What does "willful oversight" mean?

"Willful oversight" refers to the act of intentionally ignoring or neglecting something, implying a deliberate decision not to address or monitor a particular issue or responsibility.

How can I use "willful oversight" in a sentence?

You might say, "The company's "willful oversight" of safety regulations led to a significant increase in workplace accidents."

What's the difference between "willful oversight" and "negligence"?

"Negligence" implies a failure to exercise reasonable care, while "willful oversight" suggests a conscious and deliberate decision to ignore or neglect something. The former can be unintentional, while the latter is always intentional.

Are there synonyms for "willful oversight" that I can use?

Yes, you can use phrases like "deliberate negligence", "intentional disregard", or "conscious neglect" to convey a similar meaning.