elision

[ ih-lizh-uhn ]

noun

1. the omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation.
2. (in verse) the omission of a vowel at the end of one word when the next word begins with a vowel, as th'angel.
3. an act or instance of eliding or omitting anything.

elision

/ ɪˈlɪʒən /

noun

1. the omission of a syllable or vowel at the beginning or end of a word, esp when a word ending with a vowel is next to one beginning with a vowel
2. any omission of a part or parts

Word History and Origins

Origin of elision¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin ēlīsiōn- (stem of ēlīsiō ) a striking out, equivalent to ēlīs ( us ) (past participle of ēlīdere; elide ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of elision¹

C16: from Latin ēlīsiō, from ēlīdere to elide

Example Sentences

The movie involves tweaks and elisions to history, of course.

From New York Times

But even storytellers of a more prosaic bent could learn something from Jackson’s gift for narrative elision and economy, her insistence on the primacy of the visual and her sparing use of music.

From Los Angeles Times

This notion of time as both fixed and fluid extends into the mechanics of the collection: the line breaks, elisions and susurrations, the position of the words on the page.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s too bad that some of this enlightenment is achieved through huge elisions and license in relating what is still a contested history.

From New York Times

But especially as the book progresses, the authors slip into cursory rewrites of well-known history and other elisions that, while sometimes small, nevertheless undermine their credibility.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• breach
• carelessness
• exclusion
• failing
• lapse
• oversight