noun
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the finish of something; ending; expiry
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the act, process, or sound of breathing out
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rare a last breath; death
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expiration
1375–1425; late Middle English expiracioun < Latin expīrātiōn- (stem of expīrātiō ), equivalent to expīrāt ( us ) (past participle of ex ( s ) pīrāre to expire ) + -iōn- -ion
Compare meaning
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Explanation
Expiration is what happens when a lease or contract — or a period of time — has ended. The expiration of your library card means you need to sign up for a new one. You might notice that your container of yogurt is marked with a date — it's the expiration date, or the day the product is no longer fresh enough to be sold or eaten. Other things with expiration dates include magazine subscriptions, rental agreements, and drivers' licenses. All of these are a sort of contract that eventually ends, or expires. When you breathe out, that's technically also expiration, from the Latin expirare, "breathe out," or "breathe one's last breath."
Vocabulary lists containing expiration
"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
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"The Latehomecomer" by Kao Kalia Yang
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The state subsidies mitigated the damage from the expiration of the federal assistance, says Charles Gaba, the indefatigable private analyst of Obamacare financials.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Merck advanced 5.3% following promising trial results for an experimental cancer drug combination as the pharmaceutical giant races to defend its oncology franchise ahead of a key patent expiration.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Other factors include the expiration of COVID-relief funds, inflation surpassing state funding increases and employee contract settlements.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The world’s Marys understand that while beauty fades, the art of fascination has no expiration date.
From Salon • May 20, 2026
A deep, softly sonorous cooing sound at the end of each expiration, audible to bystanders.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
