What term describes failure to act?

• A. Omission
• B. Official Proceeding
• C. Oath
• D. Owner

Answer: (A)

Failure to act is described by the term omission. Omission means not taking an action that you are legally or ethically obligated to perform. In law enforcement, there can be a duty to act—like reporting a crime, assisting someone in danger, or following required procedures—and not fulfilling that duty constitutes an omission. This is different from actively doing something, which would be a commission. The other terms refer to unrelated ideas: an official proceeding is a formal hearing, an oath is a sworn promise, and an owner is someone who possesses property.