lapse

American  

[laps] / læps /

noun

1. an accidental or temporary decline or deviation from an expected or accepted condition or state; a temporary falling or slipping from a previous standard.

   a lapse of justice.

2. a slip or error, often of a trivial sort; failure.

   a lapse of memory.

3. an interval or passage of time; elapsed period.

   a lapse of ten minutes before the program resumed.

4. a moral fall, as from rectitude or virtue.

5. a fall or decline to a lower grade, condition, or degree; descent; regression.

   a lapse into savagery.

6. the act of falling, slipping, sliding, etc., slowly or by degrees.

7. a falling into disuse.

8. Insurance. discontinuance of coverage resulting from nonpayment of a premium; termination of a policy.

9. Law. the termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it or through failure of some contingency.

10. Meteorology. lapse rate.

11. Archaic. a gentle, downward flow, as of water.

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verb (used without object)

lapsed, lapsing

1. to fall or deviate from a previous standard; fail to maintain a normative level.

   Toward the end of the book the author lapsed into bad prose.

2. to come to an end; stop.

   We let our subscription to that magazine lapse.

3. to fall, slip, or sink; subside.

   to lapse into silence.

4. to fall into disuse.

   The custom lapsed after a period of time.

5. to deviate or abandon principles, beliefs, etc..

   to lapse into heresy.

6. to fall spiritually, as an apostate.

   to lapse from grace.

7. to pass away, as time; elapse.

8. Law. to become void, as a legacy to someone who dies before the testator.

9. to cease being in force; terminate.

   Your insurance policy will lapse after 30 days.

lapse British  

/ læps /

noun

1. a drop in standard of an isolated or temporary nature

   a lapse of justice

2. a break in occurrence, usage, etc

   a lapse of five weeks between letters

3. a gradual decline or a drop to a lower degree, condition, or state

   a lapse from high office

4. a moral fall

5. law the termination of some right, interest, or privilege, as by neglecting to exercise it or through failure of some contingency

6. insurance the termination of coverage following a failure to pay the premiums

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verb

1. to drop in standard or fail to maintain a norm

2. to decline gradually or fall in status, condition, etc

3. to be discontinued, esp through negligence or other failure

4. (usually foll by into) to drift or slide (into a condition)

   to lapse into sleep

5. (often foll by from) to turn away (from beliefs or norms)

6. law (of a devise or bequest) to become void, as on the beneficiary's predeceasing the testator

7. (of time) to slip away

Other Word Forms

• lapsable
  adjective
• lapsed
  adjective
• lapser
  noun
• unlapsing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lapse

1520–30; < Latin lāpsus an error, slipping, failing, equivalent to lāb ( ī ) to slide, slip, fall, make a mistake + -sus, for -tus suffix of v. action

Explanation

A lapse is a temporary slip, failure or break in continuity. If you’re normally polite, a lapse in manners could make you forget to say “please” and “thank you.” First used to imply a “slip of the memory,” the noun lapse evolved in the sixteenth century from the Latin lapsus, meaning “a slipping and falling, falling into error.” The connotation of “a moral slip” developed later, and the verb form came into existence even later than that. Behaving badly one day when you're usually on your best behavior is a lapse; behaving badly again after a short stint being well-mannered means you're lapsing back into nasty old habits.

Example Sentences

“Moreover, post sales suspension sales and revenue recovery is uncertain, with the risk that policies lapse and reputational damage to Prudential, adding longer-term uncertainties,” they added.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Instead, the lapse allowed Iran to stockpile 11 tons of enriched uranium, potentially enough for up to 100 nuclear bombs.

From Slate • May 1, 2026

The video led lawmakers in Quebec voted unanimously to demand his resignation, and Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he and the company’s board should be held accountable for a lapse in judgment and compassion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

He said O'Sullivan suffered a "momentary lapse of concentration" at the wheel, the cause of which had never been established.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Already irritated by this lapse, she was further disenchanted by the woman’s delicate frame.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• blunder
• breach
• crime
• error
• failing
• failure
• fault
• indiscretion
• miscue
• negligence
• offense
• omission
• oversight
• sin
• transgression
• violation