1. a temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment
2. an interval or passage of time
3. the termination of a right or privilege through disuse or failure to exercise it
Usage: legal

1. to fall or decline gradually; to slip into a less desirable state
2. to become invalid or expire

Examples

• She had a momentary lapse of memory and forgot her friend’s name.
• After a lapse of several years, they finally met again.
• His insurance policy will lapse if he doesn’t pay the premium.
• The patient began to lapse into unconsciousness.
• Don’t let your membership lapse or you’ll lose your benefits.
• There was a brief lapse in the conversation.
• The building lapsed into disrepair after being abandoned.