noun
-
the finish of something; ending; expiry
-
the act, process, or sound of breathing out
-
rare a last breath; death
Other Word Forms
- nonexpiration noun
- preexpiration noun
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.
That, coupled with the lease’s impending expiration in a couple of years, acted as a sort of deadline to craft a proposal that could appeal to its building owners.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Meanwhile, Farxiga inventory reductions ahead of the patent expiration could weigh on the drug’s sales, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
If they can’t agree, the league has been mapping out contingencies that include fast-tracking officials from the collegiate level before the expiration of the current agreement on May 31.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Grocery Outlet, founded in 1946 in San Francisco, is known for selling discounted overstock items, such as holiday foods and drinks nearing expiration.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
We were always acutely aware of our fast-approaching expiration date, and we spent as much time together as we could.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
