Overlooking

Overlooking is a verb with several related senses. It commonly means to fail to notice something or to miss or neglect something inadvertent: for example, “She overlooked a typo in the report” or “The plan should not overlook safety concerns.” It can also mean to have a view of something from a higher position: “The hill overlooks the village.” In some contexts, overlooking may mean to supervise or oversee, though this sense is less common and often replaced by oversee or supervise.

As a noun, an overlook is a place—typically a high point with a broad view—where observers can look out over a landscape. The term is widely used in travel writing and road signage, as in “a scenic overlook.” It can also refer to the act of looking out or the arrangement of views from a vantage point.

Etymology: the word is formed from over- plus look, reflecting its two core ideas of looking from above and looking past something. Overlooking is used across varied registers, from everyday language to geographic descriptions and, in some contexts, legal or administrative language where it can mean either not noticing or overseeing, depending on the subject.