Definitions
- Referring to a product or document that is no longer valid or usable due to the passage of time. - Talking about a food item that has gone bad and is no longer safe to consume. - Describing a license or permit that has reached its expiration date and is no longer valid.
- Referring to a membership or subscription that has not been renewed and is no longer active. - Talking about an insurance policy that has not been paid and is no longer in effect. - Describing a period of time that has passed without a certain action or event occurring.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words refer to something that is no longer valid or active.
- 2Both words are used to describe a situation where a certain time period has passed.
- 3Both words can be used in relation to documents, licenses, and memberships.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Expired is more commonly used to describe products or documents that are no longer valid due to the passage of time, while lapsed is more often used to describe memberships, subscriptions, or policies that have not been renewed or paid.
- 2Validity: Expired refers to something that has reached its expiration date and is no longer safe or legal to use, while lapsed refers to something that has not been renewed or paid and is therefore no longer active.
- 3Connotation: Expired has a negative connotation, implying that something has gone bad or is no longer useful, while lapsed is more neutral and simply describes a state of inactivity or non-renewal.
Remember this!
Expired and lapsed are synonyms that describe something that is no longer valid or active. However, they differ in their usage, validity, connotation, and part of speech. Expired is commonly used to describe products or documents that have reached their expiration date, while lapsed is used to describe memberships or policies that have not been renewed or paid. Expired has a negative connotation, while lapsed is more neutral.
