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
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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.
Appeared in the January 22, 2026, print edition as 'My Marital Clash Over Expiration Dates'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
Expiration date: The city extends this order every five days, and doesn’t currently have plans to let it lapse.
From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2022
Expiration dates are set by the manufacturer and approved by local regulatory authorities.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2021
Expiration dates, on the other hand, are usually a bit clearer with an "EXP" marker followed by the month and year a sunscreen should go bad.
From Fox News • Jul. 15, 2021
A Girl swallowed down some Pins, which afflicted her with violent Pains for the Space of six Years; at the Expiration of which Term she voided them and recovered.
From Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health by Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
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.
