51Թ

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View synonyms for

lapse

[laps]

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.



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

/ æ /

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

“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

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

“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
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • lapser noun
  • unlapsing adjective
  • lapsed adjective
  • ˈ noun
  • ˈ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of lapse1

1520–30; < Latin ܲ an error, slipping, failing, equivalent to ( ī ) to slide, slip, fall, make a mistake + -sus, for -tus suffix of v. action
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of lapse1

C15: from Latin ܲ error, from ī to glide
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“He had a catastrophic lapse of judgment when he failed to stop payments to his daughters, and because VAS was helping his family, he failed to see the red flags of these illegal acts.”

From

The facilities include Ararat Nursing Facility, a Mission Hills nursing home cited last year over lapses related to two residents’ deaths less than three months apart.

From

The prison's superintendent told the BBC the incident is "not a security lapse, it's all due to a natural disaster".

From

Matthews, meanwhile, carried her sparkling form from the T20 series before a lapse in concentration saw her edge Arlott behind at the beginning of the 15th over.

From

The embassy in Nigeria described how stop-work orders had caused lapses in oversight that put U.S. resources at risk of being diverted to criminal or terrorist groups.

From

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Lapsang Souchonglapsed