Lapse
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /læps/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Lapse is a noun meaning A temporary failure; a slip.
Meaning
A temporary failure; a slip.
More Meanings
- A decline or fall in standards.
- A pause in continuity.
- An interval of time between events.
- A termination of a right etc., through disuse or neglect.
- (meteorology) A marked decrease in air temperature with increasing altitude because the ground is warmer than the surrounding air.
- (law) A common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.
- (theology) A fall or apostasy.
Example Sentences
memory lapse
lapse of judgment
lapse in security
lapse in concentration
Word Forms
- lapses
- lapsing
- lapsed
Synonyms for lapse
Depending on context, synonyms include blooper, gaffe, thinko, aberration, bloomer, blunder.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include elapse, relapse, backslide, recidivism, recidivate, go by.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.