expire

verb

ex·​pire ik-ˈspī(-ə)r How to pronounce expire (audio)
 usually for intransitive sense 3 and transitive sense 2  ek-
expired; expiring

intransitive verb

1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end: such as
a
: to exceed its period of validity
The contract will expire next month.
b
: to pass its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)
This milk has expired.
" … when drugs expire, you can't just leave these things lying around."Ed Haislmaier
3
: to emit the breath

transitive verb

1
obsolete : conclude
2
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
3
archaic : emit

Examples of expire in a Sentence

My driver's license has expired. She expired after a long illness. measuring the volume of air expired from the lungs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Means' Oregon medical license expired in 2019 and was moved to inactive in January 2024. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 23 May 2025 The team’s current stadium lease expires after the 2028 season. Zac Jackson, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Most of those changes expire at the end of this year, but there has been virtually no dissent among Republicans, who control the House and Senate, about keeping them intact. David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025 Without any action at all, the SALT cap would expire—before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Trump’s big 2017 tax cut, there was no cap on the SALT deduction, other than the Pease limitations, which generally limits deductions for high-income taxpayers. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for expire

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Anglo-French espirer to breathe out, from Latin exspirare, from ex- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expire was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expire. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

expire

verb
ex·​pire ik-ˈspī(ə)r How to pronounce expire (audio)
 usually for sense 3  ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end : be no longer in force
this offer expires March 1
my driver's license has expired
3
a
: to let the breath out
b
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs

Medical Definition

expire

verb
ex·​pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r, usually for vi 2 and vt ek-
expired; expiring

intransitive verb

1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to emit the breath

transitive verb

: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
the basal metabolism test … measures the amount of carbon dioxide expired by the lungsJ. D. Ratcliff

More from Merriam-Webster on expire

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