anti-lapse

adjective

Of or relating to a statute that abrogates the common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.

OriginEnglish lapse ← Ancient Greek ἀντι- (anti-) ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti →
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Meanings

adjectiveanti-lapse (not comparable)
  1. not comparablelawOf or relating to a statute that abrogates the common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́)
  5. Ancient Greekἀντι- (anti-)
  6. Englishanti-
  7. Englishlapse
  8. Englishanti-lapse

From anti- + lapse.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

anti-lapse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-lapse

MLA

“anti-lapse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-lapse. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anti-lapse,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-lapse.

Source: anti-lapse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.