expiration

noun ex·pi·ra·tion \ ˌek-spə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of expiration

1 a :the last emission of breath :death

b (1) :the act or process of releasing air from the lungs through the nose or mouth :exhalation

(2) :the escape of carbon dioxide from the body protoplasm (as through the blood and lungs or by diffusion)

2 :the fact of coming to an end or the point at which something ends :termination

See expiration defined for English-language learners

See expiration defined for kids

Examples of expiration in a Sentence

one month after the expiration of the contract
directed that upon her expiration her splendid Italian-style villa be given to the public as a museum

Recent Examples of expiration from the Web

At the food bank — a collection of coolers, cupboards and open shelves in the carport of a private home — no one notices blemishes or expiration dates.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Couple earns $51,600. His long-term care takes $48,000. She digs in dumpsters for food.," 26 Aug. 2017
The strike began on March 28, three days before the existing contract’s expiration date.

— luis ferrÉ-sadurnÍ, New York Times, "Spectrum Workers’ Strike Approaches 5-Month Mark," 25 Aug. 2017
Rivera and other lottery officials remind Texans that there’s always an expiration date on lottery tickets.

— anna m. tinsley, star-telegram, "Did you forget to claim your $1 million lottery jackpot? Well, it’s too late now," 23 Aug. 2017
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets safety standards for eclipse glasses, and while glasses with the newest certification can be used indefinitely, some other glasses have an expiration date of about 3 years.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Done With Your Eclipse Glasses? Donate Them to Kids In Another Part of the World," 22 Aug. 2017
Information on correct sizing, expiration dates and recalls will be available.

— mary salatino, Naperville Sun, "Free child IDs, car seat inspections, touch-a-truck at museum Saturday," 10 Aug. 2017
Kansas driver’s licenses issued before August will be recognized at airports and elsewhere through their expiration dates.

— scott canon, kansascity, "Kansas Real ID tripping up license renewals, frustrating some drivers," 10 Aug. 2017
Revelist reports that last week, Sephora quietly changed its policy on points, suddenly applying an expiration date to them.

— marci robin, Good Housekeeping, "Sephora Points Now Have an Expiration Date and Customers Are Not Happy," 19 July 2017
His expiration date has run out and now he’s back.’

— vanityfair.com, "Let’s Call It the Ray Romanaissance," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expiration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.