Definition of 'lapse'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense lapses
, present participle lapsing
, past tense, past participle lapsed
1. countable noun [usually adjective NOUN]
A lapse is a moment or instance of bad behaviour by someone who usually behaves well.
[Also + in] 2. countable noun
A lapse of something such as concentration or judgment is a temporary lack of that thing, which can often cause you to make
a mistake.
3. verb
4. verb
If someone lapses into a particular way of speaking, or behaving, they start speaking or behaving in that
way, usually for a short period.
Teenagers occasionally find it all too much to cope with and lapse into bad behaviour. [VERB + into]
Lapse is also a noun.
5. singular noun
A lapse of time is a period that is long enough for a situation to change or for people to have
a different opinion about it.
6. verb
If a period of time lapses, it passes.
7. verb
8. verb
If a member of a particular religion lapses, they stop believing in it or stop following its rules and practices.
I lapsed in my 20s, returned to it, then lapsed again, while writing the life of
historical Jesus. [VERB]
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
lapse in British English
noun
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
verb (intransitive)
7.
to drop in standard or fail to maintain a norm
8.
to decline gradually or fall in status, condition, etc
9.
to be discontinued, esp through negligence or other failure
11. (often foll by from)
to turn away (from beliefs or norms)
13.
(of time) to slip away
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
lapsable (ˈlapsable) or lapsible (ˈlapsible) adjective
lapsed
adjective
lapser (ˈlapser)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin lāpsus error, from lābī to glide
Word Frequency
lapse in American English
noun
2.
a.
a falling away from a moral standard; moral slip
b.
a falling or slipping into a lower or worse condition, esp. for a short time
3.
a falling away from one's belief or faith
4.
a gliding or passing away, as of time or of anything continuously flowing
6. Law
a.
the termination or forfeiture of a right or privilege through disuse, through failure of some contingency, or through failure to meet stated obligations
within a stated time
b.
the failure of a bequest or devise to take effect because of the death of the person
who was to receive it
verb intransitiveWord forms: lapsed or ˈlapsing
7.
to slip or fall; esp., to slip into a specified state
to lapse into a coma
11.
to come to an end; stop
my subscription lapsed
12.
to become forfeit or void because of failure to pay the premium at the stipulated time
said of an insurance policy verb transitive
14.
to make forfeit or void by not meeting standards
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
lapsable (ˈlapsable)
adjective or ˈlapsible
lapser (ˈlapser)
noun
Word Frequency
lapse in American English
(læps) (verb lapsed, lapsing)
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
3.
an interval or passage of time; elapsed period
a lapse of ten minutes before the program resumed
5.
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
intransitive verb
12.
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
13.
to come to an end; stop
We let our subscription to that magazine lapse
15.
to fall into disuse
The custom lapsed after a period of time
16.
to deviate or abandon principles, beliefs, etc
to lapse into heresy
18.
to pass away, as time; elapse
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
lapser noun
Word origin
[1520–30; ‹ L lāpsus an error, slipping, failing, equiv. to lāb(ī) to slide, slip, fall, make a mistake + -sus, for -tus suffix of v. action]Word Frequency
lapse in Insurance 1
(læps)
Word forms: (regular plural) lapses
noun
(Insurance: Sales and distribution)
Renewal notices are sent approximately 45 days prior to your present license expiration
date, and it is the responsibility of each licensee to ensure that their licenses
are current and there is no lapse.
As long as the policy is renewed annually without lapse, the amount of premium payable for all future terms will be maintained at the same
level.
A lapse is a failure to renew a policy by the policyholder or the insurer.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Insurance. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
lapse in Insurance 2
(læps)
Word forms: (regular plural) lapses
noun
(Insurance: Sales and distribution)
A lapse is the termination of a policy because the insurer does not invite the policyholder to renew, or because the policyholder does not pay the premiums.
Insurers may ask if you have previously had insurance coverage, because they want
to know if you have ever had a policy canceled for non-payment of premiums, causing
a lapse in coverage.
The reinstatement may be effective after the cancellation date, creating a lapse of coverage.
A lapse is the termination of a policy because the insurer does not invite the policyholder
to renew, or because the policyholder does not pay the premiums.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Insurance. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Examples of 'lapse' in a sentence
lapse
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In other languages
lapse
British English: lapse
NOUN /læps/
A lapse is a moment or instance of bad behaviour by someone who usually behaves well.
On Friday he showed neither decency nor dignity. It was an uncommon lapse.
British English: lapse
VERB /læps/
If you lapse into a quiet or inactive state, you stop talking or being active.
She muttered something unintelligible and lapsed into silence.
- American English: lapse /ˈlæps/
- Brazilian Portuguese: decair
- Chinese: 行为失检一时的
- European Spanish: quedarse quieto
- French: retomber
- German: verfallen in
- Italian: cadere
- Japanese: ~という状態になる
- Korean: 사소한 잘못을 저지르다
- European Portuguese: decair
- Latin American Spanish: quedarse quieto
- Thai: ตกเข้าสู่ความเงียบ, เงียบไป
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Definition of lapse from the Collins English Dictionary
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