Meaning & use
expiry
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Meanings
noununcountableBritish
The moment or date when something stops being valid or usable, such as a ticket, medicine or passport.
Grammar: Often appears in 'expiry date' or after 'on' or 'before': renew it before expiry.
Patterns
- the expiry of something
- before expiry
- expiry date
Check the expiry date on the milk before you pour it.
Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the expiry of your trip.
Please renew your membership before expiry to keep your discount.
noununcountableformal
The ending of a fixed period of time, such as a contract, lease or deadline.
Grammar: Usually followed by 'of' and the period that ends: the expiry of the lease.
Patterns
- on the expiry of something
- upon expiry
On the expiry of the lease, the tenants have to move out.
The rules change upon expiry of the trial period.
She planned to look for a new job well before the expiry of her contract.
Common combinations
- expiry date
- The yogurt was two days past its expiry date.
- before expiry
- Use the voucher before expiry or it will be wasted.
- on expiry
- The agreement can be renewed on expiry.
- expiry of a visa
- Staying after the expiry of a visa can cause problems at the border.
- approaching expiry
- Items approaching expiry are sold at half price.
Synonyms and how they differ
- expiration
- 'Expiration' means the same and is the usual form in American English, while 'expiry' is the standard British choice.
- end
- 'End' is much more general and does not suggest a set date after which something is no longer valid.
- lapse
- 'Lapse' suggests something stopped because it was not renewed, whereas 'expiry' happens simply because the time ran out.
- termination
- 'Termination' usually implies a deliberate decision to end something, unlike 'expiry', which happens automatically.
Opposites
Word family
- expire verb
- to reach the end of its valid period
- expired adjective
- no longer valid or usable
- expiration noun
- the American word for expiry
- expiring adjective
- about to become invalid or run out
Practice
Your visa is valid until its ___ on 30 June.
Choose one answer.
After 'its' we need a noun, and 'expiry' is the noun for the end of validity. 'Expire' is a verb, and 'expired' and 'expiring' are adjectives or participles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expiry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.