lapsed

American  

[lapst] / læpst /

adjective

1. expired; voided; terminated.

   a lapsed insurance policy.

2. no longer committed to or following the tenets of a particular belief, obligation, position, etc..

   a lapsed Catholic.

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Other Word Forms

• unlapsed adjective

Etymology

Origin of lapsed

First recorded in 1610–20; lapse + -ed ²

Explanation

Someone who's lapsed has stopped participating in some activity or following some particular rules. A lapsed Baptist was raised in the Baptist church but no longer practices this religion. If you describe yourself as a lapsed Catholic or a lapsed Hindu, you once took an active part in your religion and now you don't — in fact, you may no longer believe. This adjective can also mean "expired," like your dog's lapsed license, which ran out months ago and you keep forgetting to renew. Lapsed comes from the verb lapse, which stems from either the Latin lapsus, "a slipping and falling," or lapsare, "to lose one's footing."

Example Sentences

I relent that I’m both a lapsed fashion student and someone who spent their adolescence and early teens marveling at Jacobs’ designs and Coppola’s films.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Since DHS funding lapsed in mid-February, about 375 officers have quit, the department said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Treaties meant to limit nuclear arsenals—including, as of last month, the only remaining one between the U.S. and Russia—have lapsed.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Fans won’t ever know exactly why the doting parents lapsed in their watch of the eggs a month ago, though the nonprofit believes they had their reasons.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Sirius lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling