lapsed

Everyday

1. If something has lapsed, it has come to an end because it was not renewed in time, like a membership or passport. tree →
2. A lapsed member or believer is one who used to belong or believe but no longer does. tree →
3. Lapsed into something means slowly slipped into a state: lapsed into silence. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday and formal life: a lapsed library card, lapsed insurance. In stories: the room lapsed into silence. Phrases: lapsed membership, lapsed into, a lapsed Catholic.

Examples

• My library membership lapsed because I forgot to renew it. tree →
• Her passport had lapsed, so she couldn't travel. tree →
• The class lapsed into silence when the head walked in. tree →
• He is a lapsed football fan who no longer watches. tree →
• The insurance lapsed when the payments stopped. tree →
• The patient lapsed into sleep. tree →

Note

Noun: a lapse (a short failure, like a lapse of memory, or a gap in time). Do not confuse with "elapsed" (time that has passed): "Ten minutes elapsed."