plural lapses
1
a
: an occurrence in which you fail to think or act in the usual or proper way for a brief time and make a mistake
He blamed the error on a minor mental lapse.
As he grew older he began to have memory lapses. [=times when he forgot things that he should have remembered]
—often + ina lapse in decorum/civility/judgment
a serious lapse in security
—often + ofShe had a brief lapse of attention/concentration.
b
: an occurrence in which someone behaves badly for usually a short period of time
moral lapses
a politician who is being accused of ethical lapses [=accused of doing things that are not ethical]
c
: a change that results in worse behavior
a lapse into bad habits
2
: a period of time between events
—often + of
He returned to college after a lapse of several years.
3
: the ending of something that happens when the payments necessary for it to continue are not made
—often + of
the lapse of an insurance policy
the lapse of a magazine subscription
lapses; lapsed; lapsing
1
: to stop for usually a brief time
After a few polite words the conversation lapsed.
Her interest in politics lapsed while she was in medical school.
2
: to become no longer effective or valid
She didn't pay the premium and her life insurance policy lapsed.
He forgot to renew his driver's license, so it lapsed.
She allowed the magazine subscription to lapse.
Cite this Entry
“Lapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/lapse. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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