1. To ignore or disregard purposely (the court pretermitted the constitutional question by deciding the case on procedural grounds).
2. To neglect, overlook, or omit accidentally (the third child was pretermitted in the will). • Although in ordinary usage sense 1 prevails, in legal contexts (esp. involving heirs) sense 2 is usual. [Cases: Descent and Distribution 47. C.J.S. Descent and Distribution §§ 51–54.]
