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

• break off
• break up
• cease
• close
• conclude
• dead-end
• determine
• die
• discontinue
• elapse
• end
• finish
• go
• halt
• lapse
• leave off
• let up
• pass
• quit
• stop
• terminate
• wind up
• wink (out)

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

Davies, too, is a masterpiece of patience: Real Madrid will present Bayern Munich with the choice of losing him for a fee this summer, or for nothing when his contract expires in 2025. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

The awards had been held on the eve of Nashville’s CMA Fest in June since 2002, but when CBS’ contract with the ACM Awards expired, the network rescheduled subsidiary CMT’s ceremony as a spring event. —Tom Roland, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024

The river’s largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, remain at low levels despite a series of water-saving agreements, and the region’s water managers have been engaged in difficult negotiations on new rules for dealing with shortages after 2026, when the current rules expire. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

Advertisement The decals issued since 2022 are set to expire when the state law does, on Sept. 30, 2025. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Since generic versions are produced after the patent on brand-name drugs expires, they can be manufactured and sold at a fraction of the price without compromising quality or effectiveness. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

But 20 years after the first SawStop was sold, most of those patents have now expired. —Chris Arnold, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024

This showrunner is now trying to figure out how to pay his mortgage after his overall deal expired and as his projects sit in limbo. —Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024

Their initial terms were scheduled to expire at the company’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Apr. 2024

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

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