Definition

1. Noun:
   • The omission of a sound or syllable in speech: In linguistics, "elision" refers to the deliberate dropping or slurring of a vowel, consonant, or entire syllable when pronouncing a word or phrase, often to make speech flow more smoothly.
   • The act of leaving something out: More generally, "elision" can describe the deliberate omission or suppression of any element, such as a detail in a narrative or a fact in an argument.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In casual speech, the elision of the 't' in "winter" makes it sound like "winner."
  • The poet's frequent use of elision, like "o'er" for "over," gives the verse a rhythmic quality.
  • The report's elision of key financial data made its conclusions misleading.

Advanced Usage

• Stylistic Elision: In literature and rhetoric, elision is used for stylistic effect, to create rhythm, meter, or conciseness.
  • The elision of certain historical periods in the textbook simplifies the narrative but sacrifices depth.
• As a Linguistic Process: Elision is a common phonological process in connected speech.
  • Liaison and elision are key features of fluent French pronunciation.

Variants and Related Words

• Elide (verb): To omit or suppress (a sound, syllable, or detail).
  • Speakers often elide the 'd' in "and" in phrases like "rock 'n' roll."
• Elisions (plural noun): Multiple instances of omission.

Synonyms

• Omission: The act of leaving something out.
• Deletion: The removal or erasure of something.
• Contraction: The shortening of a word or group of words by omitting sounds or letters (e.g., "can't" for "cannot"). (Note: Contraction often involves elision but also includes the use of an apostrophe.)

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Haplology: The omission of a syllable that is similar or identical to another nearby (e.g., pronouncing "probably" as "probly").
• Syncope: The loss of one or more sounds from the interior of a word (e.g., "fo'c'sle" for "forecastle").

Idioms and Figurative Use

• Elision of truth: A phrase describing the selective omission of facts to create a misleading impression.
  • His account was an elision of truth, carefully crafted to avoid blame.

Noun

1. a deliberate act of omission
   • with the exception of the children, everyone was told the news
2. omission of a sound between two words (usually a vowel and the end of one word or the beginning of the next)