Expire
/ɪkˈspaɪər/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo become no longer valid; to end or terminate, especially at a specific time or date. It can relate to contracts, documents, or physical substances.
/ɪkˈspaɪər/
To come to an end; to terminate.
My passport will expire next year, so I need to renew it.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a coupon that says it's good until a certain day. When that day comes, the coupon *expires*—it's no longer good to use, just like the date on your driver's license.
👶 For kids: When something *expires*, it means it's done and you can't use it anymore. Like when your birthday cake is too old to eat!
More Examples
The lease on our apartment expires at the end of the month.
The warranty on the product expired, so the company wouldn't fix it for free.
How It's Used
"The contract will expire on December 31st."
"The milk expired last week."
"The patient's life expired peacefully."
To die; to cease living.
/ɪkˈspaɪər/
To die; to breathe one's last breath.
The elderly gentleman expired in his sleep.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, 'expire' can mean to die. It's like when someone's life is done, and they breathe their last breath, similar to the way a flower might 'expire' and die at the end of a season.
👶 For kids: When a person or an animal *expires*, it means they stopped breathing and died.
More Examples
The term 'expired' can be used in older, more formal texts to refer to someone's death.
The poet described the flower as expiring in the late autumn.
How It's Used
"The patient expired peacefully in her sleep."
"As the sun set, the old oak's last leaves expired."
Idioms & expressions
expire a visa
When the time allotted for a visa is up.
"When a visa expires, you need to apply for a renewal or leave the country."
From Latin *expirare* meaning "to breathe out, exhale", from *ex-* (out) + *spirare* (to breathe). The meaning evolved to cover the end of a period or life.
Historically, 'expire' was used more frequently in reference to death, particularly in formal writing. This usage is less common today but still exists.
Memory tip
Think of a contract 'ex-spiring' - breathing its last breath as it ends.
Word Origin
"to breathe"