lapsed
Americanadjective
-
expired; voided; terminated.
a lapsed insurance policy.
-
no longer committed to or following the tenets of a particular belief, obligation, position, etc..
a lapsed Catholic.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lapsed
Explanation
Someone who's lapsed has stopped participating in some activity or following some particular rules. A lapsed Baptist was raised in the Baptist church but no longer practices this religion. If you describe yourself as a lapsed Catholic or a lapsed Hindu, you once took an active part in your religion and now you don't — in fact, you may no longer believe. This adjective can also mean "expired," like your dog's lapsed license, which ran out months ago and you keep forgetting to renew. Lapsed comes from the verb lapse, which stems from either the Latin lapsus, "a slipping and falling," or lapsare, "to lose one's footing."
Vocabulary lists containing lapsed
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
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"A Snake Falls to Earth" by Darcie Little Badger, List 5
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Love, Hate & Other Filters
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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.
It is uncertain whether renters will face rapidly rising rents now that the protection has lapsed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Suozzi’s ties to The Fellowship don’t appear to have lapsed at any point, even during his year out of Congress.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
This can help screen for such red flags as a lapsed license.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Interviewed on a Zambian YouTube news channel on Wednesday evening, Lungu family spokesman Makebi Zulu disputed that the appeals process had lapsed saying that the correct procedure had been followed.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The rhododendron leaves grew wide and green and when their color was at its deepest and waxiest, they suddenly surrendered it and lapsed into limp yellow hearts.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
