Dictionary definition · lapse
noun
- a mistake resulting from inattention
- a break or intermission in the occurrence of something"a lapse of three weeks between letters"
- a failure to maintain a higher state
verb
- pass into a specified state or condition; sink into"He sank into nirvana"
- end, at least for a long time"The correspondence lapsed"
- drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
- go back to bad behavior"Those who recidivate are often minor criminals"
- let slip"He lapsed his membership"
- for time to move forward"three years elapsed"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).