lapse in WordNet English dictionary

1. drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
   lapse  backslide 
   
2. pass by
   "three years elapsed"
   elapse  lapse  pass  slip by  glide by  slip away  go by  slide by  go along 
   
3. go back to bad behavior
   "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals"
   relapse  lapse  recidivate  regress  retrogress  fall back 
   
4. end, at least for a long time
   "The correspondence lapsed"
   lapse 
   
5. pass into a specified state or condition
   "He sank into nirvana"
   sink  pass  lapse 
   
6. let slip
   "He lapsed his membership"
   lapse 
   

1. a failure to maintain a higher state
   backsliding  lapse  lapsing  relapse  relapsing  reversion  reverting 
   
2. a mistake resulting from inattention
   oversight  lapse 
   
3. a break or intermission in the occurrence of something
   "a lapse of three weeks between letters"
   lapse