expired

adjective

ex·​pired ik-ˈspī(-ə)rd How to pronounce expired (audio)
ek-
1
formal : dead, deceased
often used as a euphemistic or humorous alternative to dead
A shovel, bucket, trash bags, and gloves are also useful items for cleaning up expired wildlife.Jeffrey Price and Jeffrey Forrest
… I've exercised my maternal instincts on him, doing a far better job of keeping him alive than all those expired plants now in the great compost pile in the sky.Kerry Quinn
There, firmly lodged within the pipe and obstructing the flow of water, was a catfish. The expired creature was removed, brought on board, and mounted in the main passenger cabin for all to see.John Laurence Busch
2
: no longer valid : having exceeded its period of validity
expired licenses
an expired contract
… Mr. Adams uses homemade software to download online books with expired copyrights …Michael M. Phillips
3
: having passed its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)
expired milk
expired drugs
… networks that now take us into the homes of people who treasure their expired tuna cans more than they do their children …Carina Chocano
4
: emitted as or in a person's breath : breathed out
… the person exhales into a container at regular intervals and technicians measure the amount of hydrogen in the expired air.Colleen Sauber

Examples of expired in a Sentence

a wildlife organization dedicated to ensuring that the giant panda not be added to the list of expired species
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.
Each prepares eaters for the ultimate sour flavor, which has yet to be introduced, the Final Boss Sour, described as a jar of expired pickles. Richard Collings, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 King recommends going through your refrigerator to throw away any expired or rotten food before cleaning the inside with soap and hot water. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024 The arrest comes two years after French customs agents in Modane, near the Italian border, confiscated the work, thanks to an expired export license that the man presented. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 About 40,000 workers in 20 cities who are represented by UNITE HERE face expired contracts, Reuters reported. Jena McGregor, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for expired 

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expired was in 1631

Dictionary Entries Near expired

Cite this Entry

“Expired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expired. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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