What is the term for the failure to act?

The term that accurately refers to the failure to act is "omission." In legal contexts, an omission can imply a neglect or failure to fulfill a duty of care, which may lead to liability. For example, if someone is obligated to provide assistance and fails to do so, that would be considered an omission. This concept is significant in various legal scenarios, particularly in determining responsibility and culpability in criminal law.

The other terms, while related, do not specifically capture the meaning of failure to act in the same way. Neglect often refers to the careless failure to fulfill one's responsibilities but does not exclusively denote a failure to act. Emission generally pertains to the act of producing or releasing something, often used in environmental contexts. Refusal indicates an active decision not to do something and does not align with the idea of failure to act without a specific decision involved. Therefore, omission is the most precise term to describe the failure to act.