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New_learner Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

Help please!

1. lapsed

I have no idea what "lapsed" mean in the following:

lapsed smoker

lapsed hypertensive

lapsed Catholic

....

Can anyone help? Thanks
  

Top answer

Hi, 'Lapsed' describes a person who used to have a belief, usually religious or philosophical, but has now given it up. A good example is a lapsed Catholic . This means someone who was a Catholic but no longer believes in or follows his religion.

— Clive

  • Hi, 'Lapsed' describes a person who used to have a belief, usually religious or philosophical, but has now given it up.
  • A good example is a lapsed Catholic .
  • This means someone who was a Catholic but no longer believes in or follows his religion.
  • It sounds a little odd to say a lapsed smoker because smoking is not really a matter of belief.
  • hypertensive is an adjective describing a person with high blood pressure or emotional tension, so again, lapsed does not sound right with this.
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2 Answers
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Hi,

'Lapsed' describes a person who used to have a belief, usually religious or philosophical, but has now given it up.

A good example is a lapsed Catholic. This means someone who was a Catholic but no longer believes in or follows his religion.

It sounds a little odd to say a lapsed smoker
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Clive, thanks for the explanation about lapsed Catholic.

Hypertensive is also a noun (dictionaries).

".....nurses .... to carry out home visits on lapsed hypertensives....." (a textbook I am reading at the moment)
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