lapse
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lapse
a temporary deviation; a slip or error: a lapse of judgment; discontinuance due to a late payment: She let her insurance lapse.
Not to be confused with:
laps – more than one lap: She swam five laps in the pool. My cat sits in the laps of all of my guests whether they like her or not.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
lapse
(lăps)v. lapsed, laps·ing, laps·es
v.intr.
1.
a. To fall from a previous level or standard, as of accomplishment, quality, or conduct: lapse into bad habits; a team that lapsed into mediocrity halfway through the season.
b. To deviate from a prescribed or accepted way: lapse into heresy.
c. To pass gradually or smoothly; slip: lapse into reverie.
2.
a. To come to an end, especially gradually or temporarily: He realized that his attention had lapsed and he hadn't heard the assignment.
b. To be no longer valid or active; expire: She allowed her membership to lapse after the first year.
3. Law To cease to be available as a result of expiration, disuse, or impossibility. Used of a right or privilege.
4. To go by; elapse: Years had lapsed since we last met.
v.tr.
To allow to lapse.
n.
1. The act or an instance of lapsing, as:
a. A usually minor or temporary failure; a slip: a lapse of memory; a lapse in judgment.
b. A deterioration or decline: a lapse into barbarism.
c. A moral fall: a lapse from grace.
2. A break in continuity; a pause: a lapse in the conversation.
3. A period of time; an interval: a lapse of several years between the two revolutions.
4. Law The termination of a right or privilege as a result of expiration, disuse, or impossibility.
[Middle English lapsen, to deviate from the normal, from laps, lapse of time, sin (from Old French, lapse of time, from Latin lāpsus, from past participle of lābī, to lapse) and from Latin lāpsāre, frequentative of lābī.]
laps′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lapse
(læps)n
1. a drop in standard of an isolated or temporary nature: a lapse of justice.
2. a break in occurrence, usage, etc: a lapse of five weeks between letters.
3. a gradual decline or a drop to a lower degree, condition, or state: a lapse from high office.
4. a moral fall
5. (Law) law the termination of some right, interest, or privilege, as by neglecting to exercise it or through failure of some contingency
6. (Insurance) insurance the termination of coverage following a failure to pay the premiums
vb (intr)
7. to drop in standard or fail to maintain a norm
8. to decline gradually or fall in status, condition, etc
9. to be discontinued, esp through negligence or other failure
10. (usually foll by into) to drift or slide (into a condition): to lapse into sleep.
11. (often foll by from) to turn away (from beliefs or norms)
12. (Law) law (of a devise or bequest) to become void, as on the beneficiary's predeceasing the testator
13. (of time) to slip away
[C15: from Latin lāpsus error, from lābī to glide]
ˈlapsable, ˈlapsible adj
lapsed adj
ˈlapser n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
lapse
(læps)n., v. lapsed, laps•ing. n.
1. an accidental or temporary decline or deviation from an expected or accepted condition or state: a lapse of justice.
2. a slip or error, often of a trivial sort: a lapse of memory.
3. an interval or passage of time; elapsed period.
4. a moral fall, as from rectitude or virtue.
5. a fall or decline to a lower grade, condition, or degree: a lapse into savagery.
6. the act of falling, slipping, sliding, etc., slowly or by degrees.
7. a falling into disuse.
8. termination of an insurance policy, due to nonpayment of a premium.
9. Law. the termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it or through failure of some contingency.
10. lapse rate.
11. Archaic. a gentle, downward flow, as of water.
v.i. 12. to fall or deviate from a previous standard; fail to maintain a normative level.
13. to come to an end; stop: We let our subscription lapse.
14. to fall, slip, or sink; subside: to lapse into silence.
15. to fall into disuse: The custom lapsed after many years.
16. to deviate or abandon principles, beliefs, etc.: to lapse into heresy.
17. to fall spiritually, as an apostate.
18. to pass away, as time; elapse.
19. (of an insurance policy) to cease being in force; terminate.
20. Law. to become void, as a legacy to someone who dies before the testator.
[1520–30; < Latin lāpsus an error, slipping =lāb(ī) to slip, err + -sus, for -tus suffix of v. action]
laps′a•ble, laps′i•ble, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
lapse
Past participle: lapsed
Gerund: lapsing
| Imperative |
|---|
| lapse |
| lapse |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | lapse - a mistake resulting from inattention |
| 2. | lapse - a break or intermission in the occurrence of something; "a lapse of three weeks between letters" pause, suspension, intermission, interruption, break - a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something | |
| 3. |  lapse - a failure to maintain a higher statefailure - an act that fails; "his failure to pass the test" recidivism - habitual relapse into crime | |
| Verb | 1. | lapse - pass into a specified state or condition; "He sank into nirvana" move - go or proceed from one point to another; "the debate moved from family values to the economy" |
| 2. | lapse - end, at least for a long time; "The correspondence lapsed" end, cease, terminate, finish, stop - have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo" | |
| 3. | lapse - drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards | |
| 4. | lapse - go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals" | |
| 5. | lapse - let slip; "He lapsed his membership" | |
| 6. | lapse - pass by; "three years elapsed" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
lapse
noun
1. decline, fall, drop, descent, deterioration, relapse, backsliding His behaviour showed neither decency or dignity. It was an uncommon lapse.
2. mistake, failing, fault, failure, error, slip, negligence, omission, oversight, indiscretion The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.
3. interval, break, gap, passage, pause, interruption, lull, breathing space, intermission a time lapse between receipt of new information and its publication
verb
1. slip, fall, decline, sink, drop, slide, deteriorate, degenerate Teenagers occasionally find it all too much to cope with and lapse into bad behaviour.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
lapse
verb1. To slip from a higher or better condition to a former, usually lower or poorer one:
2. To become or cause to become less active or intense:
2. An act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true:
3. A slipping from a higher or better condition to a lower or poorer one:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
زَلَّه، هَفْوَهمُرور ، إنْقِضاءيَتَوَقَّفيَسْقُط، يَهْبِط
odumřítselháníupadnoutuplynutízaniknout
henfalde tilperiodesvigtsynkeudløbe
elévülleforgásvisszasüllyed
eftir visst langan tíma; hléfalla niîurglappaskot, mistök; misminnihrasa; hrörna; fara aftur
apsirikimaspraėjusio laiko tarpas
beigtieskļūdalaika plūdums/sprīdismisēklispāriet
lapse
[læps]A. N
1. (= error) → fallo m, lapsus m inv; (= lack) → falta f
she has the occasional lapse of memory → de vez en cuando tiene fallos or lapsus de memoria
it was a lapse of judgement on his part → fue un error de cálculo por su parte
the accident was caused by a momentary lapse of or in concentration → el accidente lo provocó un despiste momentáneo, el accidente lo provocó una falta momentánea de concentración
she has the occasional lapse of memory → de vez en cuando tiene fallos or lapsus de memoria
it was a lapse of judgement on his part → fue un error de cálculo por su parte
the accident was caused by a momentary lapse of or in concentration → el accidente lo provocó un despiste momentáneo, el accidente lo provocó una falta momentánea de concentración
B. VI
1. (= slip) to lapse into one's old ways → volver a las andadas
he lapsed into silence → se calló, se quedó callado
he lapsed into unconsciousness → perdió el conocimiento
he lapsed into the vernacular → recurrió a la lengua vernácula
he lapsed into silence → se calló, se quedó callado
he lapsed into unconsciousness → perdió el conocimiento
he lapsed into the vernacular → recurrió a la lengua vernácula
3. (= cease to exist) our friendship lapsed when she moved to London → dejamos de vernos cuando ella se fue a Londres
5. (= pass) [time] → pasar, transcurrir
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
lapse
[ˈlæps] n
(in behaviour) → écart m (de conduite)
(= failure) → défaillance f
lapse of time, time lapse → laps m de temps
the lapse of time since the incident → le laps de temps écoulé depuis l'incident
He was not conscious of the time lapse → Il n'avait pas conscience du laps de temps qui s'était écoulé.
a lapse of 50 years → un laps de temps de 5O ans
time lapse → laps m de temps
the lapse of time since the incident → le laps de temps écoulé depuis l'incident
He was not conscious of the time lapse → Il n'avait pas conscience du laps de temps qui s'était écoulé.
a lapse of 50 years → un laps de temps de 5O ans
time lapse → laps m de temps
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
lapse
n
(= error) → Fehler m; (moral) → Fehltritt m, → Verfehlung f; lapse of judgement → Fehlurteil nt; he had a momentary lapse of concentration → seine Konzentration ließ einen Augenblick nach; to suffer from lapses of memory or memory lapses → an Gedächtnisschwäche leiden; lapse of taste → Geschmacksverirrung f; a serious security lapse → ein schwerer Verstoß gegen die Sicherheitsvorkehrungen
(= decline) → Absinken nt no pl, → Abgleiten nt no pl; a lapse in confidence → ein Vertrauensschwund m; lapse in standards → Niveauabfall m; he noticed her lapse into German → ihm fiel auf, dass sie ins Deutsche verfiel
(= expiry) → Ablauf m; (of claim) → Verfall m, → Erlöschen nt; (= cessation) → Aussterben nt, → Schwinden nt
(of time) → Zeitspanne f, → Zeitraum m; time lapse → Zeitspanne f, → Zeitraum m; after a lapse of 4 months → nach (einem Zeitraum von) 4 Monaten; there was a lapse in the conversation → es gab eine Gesprächspause
vi
(= make mistake) → einen Fehler begehen, etwas falsch machen; (morally) → fehlen (liter), → einen Fehltritt begehen, unrecht tun; to lapse from one’s faith → von seinem Glauben abfallen, seinem Glauben abtrünnig werden
(= decline) → verfallen (→ into in +acc), → abgleiten (→ from sth into sth von etw in etw acc); to lapse into one’s old ways → wieder in seine alten Gewohnheiten verfallen; he lapsed into German/legal jargon → er verfiel ins Deutsche/in den Anwaltsjargon; he lapsed into silence → er versank in Schweigen; he lapsed into a coma → er sank in ein Koma; he/his work is lapsing → er/seine Arbeit lässt nach, mit ihm/seiner Arbeit geht es bergab
(= expire) → ablaufen; (claims) → verfallen, erlöschen; (= cease to exist) → aussterben; (friendship, correspondence) → einschlafen; after two months have lapsed → nach (Ablauf von) zwei Monaten
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
lapse
[læps]1. n
a. (fault) → mancanza; (in behaviour) → scorrettezza
a lapse (of memory) → un vuoto (di memoria)
a lapse into bad habits → un ritorno alle cattive abitudini
a lapse (of memory) → un vuoto (di memoria)
a lapse into bad habits → un ritorno alle cattive abitudini
b. (of time) → intervallo
2. vi
b. (fall slowly) to lapse into bad habits → prendere cattive abitudini
to lapse into one's old ways → ritornare a poco a poco alle vecchie abitudini
to let one's attention lapse → distrarsi
to lapse into silence → tacere
she lapsed into unconsciousness → scivolò in uno stato di incoscienza
to lapse into one's old ways → ritornare a poco a poco alle vecchie abitudini
to let one's attention lapse → distrarsi
to lapse into silence → tacere
she lapsed into unconsciousness → scivolò in uno stato di incoscienza
c. (law, act) → cadere, andare in prescrizione; (membership, passport, ticket) → scadere
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
lapse
(lӕps) verb1. to cease to exist, often because of lack of effort. His insurance policy had lapsed and was not renewed.
2. to slip, fall, be reduced. As he could think of nothing more to say, he lapsed into silence; I'm afraid our standards of tidiness have lapsed.
noun1. a mistake or failure (in behaviour, memory etc). a lapse of memory.
2. a passing away (of time). I saw him again after a lapse of five years.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
lapse
n. [time] lapso, intervalo de tiempo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
lapse
n lapso, lapsus m; — of memory laguna mental, lapsus de memoriaEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.