laipse
B2Neutral to formal. Common in legal, insurance, administrative, and moral/ethical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
a temporary failure in concentration, memory, judgment, or behaviour; a decline from a previous standard; the ending of a legal right or agreement.
Can refer to a minor error, a passage of time, a slip in moral or professional standards, or the termination of insurance coverage or membership due to non-renewal.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a temporary, unintentional failure. In legal/insurance contexts, it's a formal, technical term for termination due to inaction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slightly more frequent in UK English in formal/legal registers (e.g., 'lapse of time'). US English may use 'lapse' more in insurance contexts.
Connotations
Equally negative for errors, neutral for time passage.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N lapse (in N)V lapse into NN lapse of Nlapse V (e.g., the policy lapsed)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a lapse of memory”
- “lapse into coma”
- “lapse into bad habits”
- “a lapse in protocol”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The insurance policy will lapse if the premium isn't paid.
Academic
The study noted a significant lapse in data collection during the third quarter.
Everyday
I had a momentary lapse and forgot my neighbour's name.
Technical
After the statutory lapse period, the claim can no longer be filed.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- His membership lapsed after he failed to pay the annual fee.
- She lapsed into a thoughtful silence.
American English
- The insurance policy lapsed last month.
- He lapsed back into his old habits.
adjective
British English
- A lapsed Catholic may still feel cultural ties to the faith.
- The lapsed policy left them uninsured.
American English
- A lapsed subscription needs to be reactivated.
- He was a lapsed member of the club.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I'm sorry, I had a lapse of memory.
- There was a brief lapse in security, but it was quickly fixed.
- After a lapse of several years, she returned to university.
- A single lapse in concentration caused the accident.
- The contract will lapse automatically if not signed by Friday.
- The journalist was accused of a serious ethical lapse for not disclosing his source.
- The country lapsed into chaos following the revolution.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'lapse' as a 'collapse' in attention or a 'gap' in time.
Conceptual Metaphor
STANDING IS MAINTAINING; FALLING IS FAILING (a lapse is a metaphorical fall from a standard). TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT (a lapse of time is its passage).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить всегда как 'промах' или 'ошибка'. В юридическом контексте это 'утрата силы/истечение срока'. 'Lapse of time' – 'истечение времени', а не 'ошибка времени'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'lapse' with 'elapse' (only 'elapse' is an intransitive verb for time passing). Using 'lapse' for a permanent, major failure (it's usually temporary/minor). Incorrect preposition: 'lapse of judgment' (correct), not 'lapse on judgment'.
Practice
Quiz
What does it mean if a 'driving licence lapses'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly, but not always. 'A lapse of time' is neutral. However, 'a lapse in judgment' or 'a moral lapse' is negative.
'Lapse' is a single, often minor, failure. 'Relapse' (verb/noun) specifically means to fall back into a previous worse state, especially after improvement (e.g., relapsing into illness or addiction).
Yes. As a verb, it means to fall into a state (e.g., lapse into silence), or for a right/agreement to become invalid because it's not renewed or used.
A 'lapse' is typically a temporary, often unconscious, failure of concentration, memory, or standard. A 'mistake' is a broader term for any error in action, opinion, or judgment, and may involve conscious choice.