Omissive

Omissive is an adjective meaning characterized by or relating to omission. The term derives from the Latin omittere, “to omit,” with the suffix -ive forming an adjective. In broader usage, omissive describes processes, forms, or systems that intentionally or habitually leave out elements that might be expected.

In linguistics and grammar, omissive describes phenomena in which units such as words, sounds, or morphemes are omitted. This can include ellipsis, where syntactic material is not expressed but understood from context, and pro‑drop or null-subject constructions, where subject pronouns are omitted because they are recoverable from verb morphology or discourse. Omissive tendencies can also appear in phonology or orthography, for example through elision or casual speech where certain sounds or letters are dropped.

Omissive analysis is often used when describing less explicit or overt grammatical architectures, or historical language change in which elements become regularly omitted over time. Because omission is widespread across languages in varying degrees, the label omissive is typically used descriptively rather than as a formal grammatical category. It serves as a broad descriptor for features that reduce explicit marking or expressed elements, rather than a single, standardized theory or framework.

See also: omission, ellipsis, pro‑drop languages, elision, zero marking.