lapse

[ laps ]

/ læps /

noun

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.

a slip or error, often of a trivial sort; failure: a lapse of memory.

an interval or passage of time; elapsed period: a lapse of ten minutes before the program resumed.

a moral fall, as from rectitude or virtue.

a fall or decline to a lower grade, condition, or degree; descent; regression: a lapse into savagery.

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

a falling into disuse.

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

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

Meteorology. lapse rate.

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

verb (used without object), lapsed, laps·ing.

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.

to come to an end; stop: We let our subscription to that magazine lapse.

to fall, slip, or sink; subside: to lapse into silence.

to fall into disuse: The custom lapsed after a period of time.

to deviate or abandon principles, beliefs, etc.: to lapse into heresy.

to fall spiritually, as an apostate: to lapse from grace.

to pass away, as time; elapse.

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

to cease being in force; terminate: Your insurance policy will lapse after 30 days.

Nearby words

lappish, lapps, lapsable, lapsang, lapsang souchong, lapse, lapse rate, lapsed, lapsible, lapstrake, lapsus

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

Related forms

laps·er, nounun·laps·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lapses

The former has gone so far as to take out ads apologizing for its lapses.
George Will, Fox News, and the Beginning of an Ebola Conspiracy|Russell Saunders|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when a financial model depends on millions of users, and mere algorithms patrolling the gates, lapses are inevitable.
Facebook Apologizes For, but Doesn’t Retract, Discriminatory ‘Real Name’ Policy|Jay Michaelson|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As enraging as these lapses are, they should not come as a surprise.
The Worst Place in the World for MH370 to Go Missing|Clive Irving|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All of this has become so familiar that it lapses from our minds, it's just the way things are.
How the 1% Rules|David Frum|July 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST

If all this were only hypocrisy, Gingrich might legitimately expect voters to shrug off his lapses of decency and humanity.
Republican Debate: Why Newt Gingrich’s Performance Should Disqualify Him|Lee Siegel|January 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This extremely low rate has been due to the large number of lapses.
Beneficiary Features of American Trade Unions|James B. Kennedy
There is a variable velocity of existence, though the lapses of time may be equable.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2)|John William Draper
Giovanni's speeches were no more flattering than Tornik's lapses from boredom.
The Title Market|Emily Post
Worship and sacrifice, as mere acts toward supernatural beings, may be consonant with any number of lapses in conduct.
Pioneers of Evolution from Thales to Huxley|Edward Clodd
It is true that in this interval of very many centuries there had been lapses into unbelief.
Christopher Columbus and How He Received and Imparted the Spirit of Discovery|Justin Winsor

British Dictionary definitions for lapses

lapse

/ (læps) /

noun

a drop in standard of an isolated or temporary naturea lapse of justice

a break in occurrence, usage, etca lapse of five weeks between letters

a gradual decline or a drop to a lower degree, condition, or statea lapse from high office

a moral fall

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

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

verb (intr)

to drop in standard or fail to maintain a norm

to decline gradually or fall in status, condition, etc

to be discontinued, esp through negligence or other failure

(usually foll by into) to drift or slide (into a condition)to lapse into sleep

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

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

(of time) to slip away

Derived Forms

lapsable or lapsible, adjectivelapsed, adjectivelapser, noun

Word Origin for lapse

C15: from Latin lāpsus error, from lābī to glide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012