This verb shows that time goes past. You can use it to say how much time moves after something.
Two hours elapsed before he came.
The days elapsed quickly during holidays.
This meaning focuses on time moving quietly or without people noticing. It is often used in a more thoughtful or emotive way.
Many hours elapsed while we talked quietly.
Life elapses before you realize it.
In legal areas, elapse means that rights, claims, or contracts lose effect because time has passed without action.
The contract will elapse if not renewed.
Rights can elapse after many years.
In technology, elapse is used to talk about how much time has passed during an event or process, such as a computer task.
The system elapsed three seconds in testing.
Elapsed time is shown on the screen.
