What is the meaning of lapse?

noun

• A mistake resulting from inattention.
  • synonyms: oversight
• A break or intermission in the occurrence of something.
  • usage: "a lapse of three weeks between letters"
• A failure to maintain a higher state.
  • synonyms: backsliding, lapsing, relapse, relapsing, reversion, reverting

verb

• Pass into a specified state or condition.
  • usage: "He sank into nirvana"
  • synonyms: sink, pass
• End, at least for a long time.
  • usage: "The correspondence lapsed"
• Drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards.
  • synonyms: backslide
• Go back to bad behavior.
  • usage: "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals"
  • synonyms: relapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress, fall back
• Let slip.
  • usage: "He lapsed his membership"
• Pass by.
  • usage: "three years elapsed"
  • synonyms: elapse, pass, slip by, glide by, slip away, go by, slide by, go along