expiration
gb/ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/ us/ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
ending of validity or effect
The time when something like a contract, ticket, or plan ends and is not valid anymore.
Usage pattern:
the expiration of [a contract/lease/membership/policy]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the contract is in expiration"* instead of *"the contract is about to expire"* or *"the contract is near expiration"*. Also, they may confuse "expiration" (the end of validity) with "cancellation" (an early, often intentional ending).
Synonyms
end (General and very common word; does not specifically suggest legal or official validity like "expiration" often does.)
|
expiry (More common in British English; used in the same legal and official contexts as "expiration".)
|
termination (More formal and legal; often suggests an intentional or early ending rather than a scheduled one.)
Antonyms
renewal (Refers to making something continue after it was going to expire, the opposite of letting it end.)
|
extension (Means officially adding more time so that something does not reach its expiration when originally planned.)
|
commencement (Formal word for the start of something, contrasting with its expiration or end.)
Collocations
expiration of the contract
|expiration of the lease
|policy expiration
|warranty expiration
|license expiration
|upon expiration
Themes
business
|law
|daily life
Examples
- After the expiration of the lease, they decided to move to a different apartment.
- The insurance company notified him about the upcoming expiration of his policy.
- Upon expiration of the agreement, both parties are free to negotiate new terms.
- The warranty’s expiration left them responsible for the repair costs.
- The software will stop working upon expiration of your annual subscription.
Learner examples
- The expiration of my visa is next month.
- There will be a fee after the expiration of your contract.
- You must leave the room by the expiration of your booking.
- We can change the rules only after the expiration of this agreement.
- The expiration of the policy means the company will not pay for new damage.
Noun
B1
relation
2
date something stops being valid
The date or time when a product, card, or document is not good or not allowed to use anymore.
Usage pattern:
the expiration of [a card/product/offer] is [date/time]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"expire date"* or *"expired date"* instead of "expiration date". In many countries, food labels use "best before" or "use by", which can cause confusion with "expiration"; in English, "expiration date" usually means the last safe or legal day to use something.
Synonyms
expiry date (Common in British English; has the same meaning but is slightly more informal in some contexts.)
|
use-by date (Usually used for food and medicine, focusing on safety rather than legal validity.)
Antonyms
issue date (Refers to when something was created or given, contrasting with when it expires.)
|
start date (Focuses on when something begins to be valid, the opposite end of the timeline from its expiration.)
Collocations
expiration date
|card expiration
|passport expiration
|expiration on the package
|coupon expiration
|expiration label
Themes
daily life
|business
|food
|daily_life
|law
Examples
- Check the expiration on your yogurt before you eat it.
- The credit card’s expiration is 07/28, so you’ll need a new one soon.
- Always note the expiration of your visa before booking your return flight.
- This medicine is past its expiration and should be thrown away.
- The coupon is valid until the expiration printed in the top right corner.
Learner examples
- Please check the expiration on the milk carton.
- My card’s expiration is next year in June.
- The passport expiration is written on the photo page.
- Do not take the pills after the expiration on the bottle.
- We must use these tickets before their expiration.
Noun
technical
C1
action
3
breathing air out of lungs
In medical language, the part of breathing when air goes out from your lungs.
Usage pattern:
during expiration, [something] happens
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "expiration" with the more common everyday meaning of "ending" and not realize it also has this medical meaning. They also sometimes mix up "inspiration" as "idea" with its medical meaning "breathing in"; in medical contexts, "inspiration" and "expiration" are paired technical terms.
Synonyms
exhalation (Common everyday and technical term that directly refers to breathing out; less formal-sounding than "expiration" in medical writing.)
Antonyms
inspiration (In medical language this means the act of breathing in, the opposite phase of expiration.)
Collocations
inspiration and expiration
|forced expiration
|quiet expiration
|expiration phase
|expiration rate
|expiration of air
Themes
health
|science
|medicine
|body
Examples
- During expiration, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward.
- The therapist measured the patient’s maximum forced expiration.
- In normal breathing, expiration is mostly a passive process.
- Obstruction of the airways can particularly affect expiration.
- The device records airflow during both inspiration and expiration.
Learner examples
- During expiration, air goes out of the lungs.
- The doctor talked about inspiration and expiration in the breathing cycle.
- In quiet breathing, expiration is easy and relaxed.
- The nurse watched the patient’s chest move during expiration.
- The test checks how much air you blow out in expiration.
Noun
formal
C1
event
4
formal term for death
A formal word that means death, used mainly in medical or legal writing.
Usage pattern:
upon the expiration of [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this meaning of "expiration" is common in everyday speech. In normal conversation, people almost never say "expiration" for death; they use words like "death" or "passed away" instead. This sense is mainly for reading medical or legal documents, not for active use.
Synonyms
death (The normal, everyday word; much more common in general speech than "expiration".)
|
passing (Softer and more emotional; often used when talking gently about someone’s death.)
Antonyms
birth (Marks the beginning of life, in contrast to expiration as the end of life.)
|
survival (Indicates continuing to live instead of dying or reaching expiration.)
Collocations
the patient’s expiration
|expiration on the ward
|time of expiration
|sudden expiration
|expiration was recorded at
Themes
medicine
|law
|life_and_death
|health
|animals
Examples
- The doctor recorded the time of expiration in the patient’s chart.
- Cause of expiration was listed as cardiac arrest.
- The report stated that expiration occurred approximately five minutes after arrival.
- Hospital policy requires a nurse to be present at the moment of expiration.
- Following the patient’s expiration, the family was informed by the attending physician.
Learner examples
- The doctor wrote the time of expiration on the form.
- In this report, "expiration" means the patient’s death.
- The nurse stayed with the man until his expiration.
- After the patient’s expiration, the family came to the hospital.
- The paper uses the word "expiration" in a formal, medical way for death.
Grammar
Dictionary form
expiration
IPA
GB/ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
US/ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
ex - pir - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pir)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: expiration
- Plural: expiration, expirations
Word family
Forms
expirations
noun
Core family
expire
verb B1
expired
adjective
Related words
expiry
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unexpired
adjective
Advanced or less common
expiratory
adjective
Expressions
after expiration
1/ˈæftɚ ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
later than the time it expires
At a time later than when something ends or is no longer valid.
Examples
- The discount cannot be applied after expiration of the coupon.
- Access to the system will be blocked after expiration of your account.
- The tenant stayed in the apartment after expiration of the lease.
before expiration
1/bɪfˈɔɹ ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
earlier than the time it expires
At a time earlier than when something ends or is no longer valid.
Examples
- You must submit your application before expiration of your current visa.
- The ticket can be refunded only before expiration of the offer period.
- Please use the product before expiration for best quality.
date of expiration
1/dˈeɪt əv ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
official date something ends
A formal way to say the official date when a contract, visa, or other document stops being valid.
Examples
- Please write the date of expiration clearly on the front page of the contract.
- The visa’s date of expiration is listed in the upper right corner of the document.
- They extended the license by changing the date of expiration in the system.
expiration date
1/ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən dˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
printed date when use must stop
The date printed on food, medicine, a card, or another product that tells you the last day you should use it or when it is no longer valid.
Examples
- Always check the expiration date on milk before you drink it.
- My passport’s expiration date is next May, so I need to renew it soon.
- The coupon is not accepted after the expiration date shown on the back.
upon expiration
1/əpˈɑn ˌɛkspɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
at the moment something expires
At the moment when a contract, policy, or other thing ends and is not valid anymore.
Examples
- The equipment must be returned upon expiration of the rental agreement.
- All benefits will cease upon expiration of your employment contract.
- The software license will automatically renew upon expiration unless you cancel.