non-lapse
|non-lapse|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈlæps/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈlæps/
not subject to lapse
Etymology
'non-lapse' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') and 'lapse' (from Latin 'lapsus', from 'labi' meaning 'to slip').
'lapse' comes from Latin 'lapsus' (from 'labi'), passed into Old French and Middle English as forms meaning 'a slipping' or 'falling away', and eventually became the English verb and noun 'lapse'; the negative prefix 'non-' has long been used in English to form compounds, and 'non-lapse' arose in Modern English (notably in legal/insurance usage in the 19th–20th century) as a compound meaning 'not subject to lapse'.
Initially related to physical 'slipping' or 'falling away', 'lapse' evolved to mean 'cease to be in force' or 'expire'; 'non-lapse' developed to denote the opposite — 'not subject to expiration', especially in technical/legal contexts such as insurance.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a provision, clause, or guarantee that prevents lapse; especially in insurance, a clause ensuring that benefits or status continue despite missed premiums or other lapsing events.
The policy contains a non-lapse that protects the accumulated benefits if premiums are missed.
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Adjective 1
not subject to lapse; not liable to expire, terminate, or be voided by failure to meet conditions or by passage of time (especially of an insurance policy, right, or benefit).
The policy includes a non-lapse guarantee, so coverage continues even if premium payments stop.
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Last updated: 2025/11/02 01:38