# expire

/ɪkˈspaɪɹ/ (US) · /ɛkspˈaɪə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/expire
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to become invalid

verb · CEFR B2

to stop being valid because a fixed period of time has ended.

For teachers: to come to an end or cease to be valid; typically used of documents, contracts, or subscriptions.

- I need to renew my driver's license before it expires next Tuesday.
- The introductory offer is set to expire at midnight, after which the standard monthly subscription rate will be applied automatically.

Usage: This verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object when referring to documents or time periods.

### 2. to die

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

to die or take a last breath.

For teachers: to breathe one's last; to die. This usage is highly formal or literary.

- The old king expired quietly in his sleep surrounded by his family.
- The patient expired shortly after the final rites were administered, ending a long and courageous battle with the illness.

Teaching tip: In modern speech, 'died' or 'passed away' is much more common; 'expired' can sound cold or overly clinical when referring to people.

### 3. to breathe out

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to breathe air out of your lungs.

For teachers: to exhale; to breathe out air from the lungs. This is the technical opposite of 'inspire' in a physiological context.

- The doctor asked the patient to expire slowly into the tube.
- During the stress test, the technician monitored the volume of air the athlete could expire in a single breath.

Usage: Can be used both transitively (to expire air) and intransitively.

## Examples

- My passport will expire next month.
- The software license is set to expire at midnight, so we must renew it today to avoid a service interruption.
- Although the initial offer was generous, the terms stipulated that the price would expire if the contract was not signed within forty-eight hours of the initial meeting.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.