lapsed

[ lapst ]

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.

Other Words From

• un·lapsed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lapsed¹

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

Example Sentences

He was taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where he was given morphine for the pain; he lapsed into a coma and died a few weeks later.

From Los Angeles Times

That law, which was signed in 1994 by former President Clinton, lapsed in 2004, and efforts to revive it have failed.

From Los Angeles Times

She told police she believed the car was insured, however this had lapsed three months before the crash.

From BBC

When Medi-Cal recipients run into problems with their paperwork or find their coverage has lapsed, they often turn to the call centers at their counties for help.

From Los Angeles Times

Most of the rest of the legislation lapsed in 2020 because of a sunset provision.

From Los Angeles Times