noun

lapse

laps

noun

A brief slip or failure, especially a temporary lowering of standards or attention.

"Forgetting her name was just a momentary lapse."

"The scandal was blamed on a lapse in judgment."

The ending of a right, agreement, or membership because it was left unused or not renewed.

"His insurance policy went into lapse after he missed three payments."

verb

To slip gradually into a worse state, bad habit, or silence.

"The conversation lapsed into an awkward silence."

"He lapsed back into his old smoking habit under stress."

To become invalid because a deadline passed or it was not renewed.

"The offer will lapse if you don't respond within thirty days."

How to Use Lapse

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small slip-up, or a right/agreement quietly running out because nobody kept it going.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "elapse," which just means time passing (e.g. "two hours elapsed") — "lapse" implies something failed or expired.

Easily confused with

elapse collapse →

Common pairings

lapse into silence memory lapse policy lapsed a lapse in judgment

lapsed past tense, lapses plural, lapses singular

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Forgetting her name was just a momentary _____.

From Latin lapsus, "a slipping or falling," from labi, "to slip." A doublet of the word "lapsus."

relapse collapse