expire

verb

ex·​pire ik-ˈspī(-ə)r 

 usually for intransitive sense 3 and transitive sense 2  ek-

expired; expiring

intransitive verb

1

: to breathe one's last breath : die

2

: to come to an end: such as

a

: to exceed its period of validity

The contract will expire next month.

b

: to pass its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)

This milk has expired.

" … when drugs expire, you can't just leave these things lying around."

—Ed Haislmaier

3

: to emit the breath

transitive verb

1

obsolete : conclude

2

: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs

3

archaic : emit

Synonyms

• end
• cease
• stop
• conclude
• halt
• terminate
• pass
• die

Examples of expire in a Sentence

My driver's license has expired.

She expired after a long illness.

measuring the volume of air expired from the lungs

Recent Examples on the Web

Current spending authorization expires Sept. 30, with a new federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. —Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2025

President Donald Trump’s pause on new federal jobs expired on July 15 and employment opportunities with the Federal Emergency Management Agency appeared on USAJobs — the federal government’s employment website — in the past two weeks. —Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025

After all, Callum Wilson’s exit after his contract expired this summer and Newcastle already needs a striker. —Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Especially detrimental to demand was the rollback of tax credits for new and used electric vehicles ― consumer-side subsidies which effectively lowered the price of many EVs by thousands of dollars, and will now expire at the end of September. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Anglo-French espirer to breathe out, from Latin exspirare, from ex- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for expire

• admire
• afire
• aspire
• backfire
• esquire
• haywire
• hellfire
• inquire
• inspire
• newswire
• perspire
• rehire

Kids Definition

expire

verb

ex·​pire ik-ˈspī(ə)r 

 usually for sense 3  ek-

expired; expiring

1

: to breathe one's last breath : die

2

: to come to an end : be no longer in force

this offer expires March 1

my driver's license has expired

3

a

: to let the breath out

b

: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs

Medical Definition

expire

verb

ex·​pire

ik-ˈspī(ə)r, usually for vi 2 and vt ek-

expired; expiring

intransitive verb

1

: to breathe one's last breath : die

2

: to emit the breath

transitive verb

: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs

the basal metabolism test … measures the amount of carbon dioxide expired by the lungs

—J. D. Ratcliff