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grace period

grace period

10 3.5
Extra time after a deadline when you can still do something without penalty
  • noun
  • /ɡreɪs ˈpɪərɪd/
translation icon : periodo de gracia
  • Additional hourly charges after the grace period are usually very high.
  • a two-year grace period
  • a six-year grace period
  • year grace period

So I, I always give a little grace period, little area.

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Examples

  • The rules typically give the homeowner a grace period to pay off the investor and reclaim their property.

    Blog text (22)
  • Make sure to pay off your credit card balance within the grace period to avoid interest charges.

  • We'll make that tool available to expired accounts even without additional payment during the grace period.

    Blog text (28)
  • And should you fall behind, there is a three-month grace period.

  • But I stayed within the grace period, and I didn't incur the $100-a-day penalty.

    Blog text (28)
  • So I asked for a 30-day grace period before the fine kicked in—and they agreed.

    Blog text (28)
  • You can submit your loan application during the grace period without facing any penalties.

  • The landlord offered a grace period for the rent payment, allowing tenants an extra week to pay without fees.

Synonyms

grace
vsgrace period
48 4.9

Extra time allowed after a deadline to avoid a penalty

is identical in meaning but uses a two-word formal expression
deferment
vsgrace period
11 6.2

A delay that lets something happen at a later time

refers to extra penalty-free time after a deadline rather than general delay
respite
vsgrace period
  • Formal
1 6.8

A short official delay before a punishment happens

applies to extra time after an obligation deadline without penalties

How Long

prolongation
1 6.5
borrowed time
  • Informal
12 6.0
grace period
10 3.5
to reprieve
1 6.8
breathing space
  • Formal
1 3.5

Surface Forms

grace period singular
grace periods plural

Morphology

grace + period

The meaning 'an additional interval without penalty' is directly and predictably built from 'grace' (leniency or allowance) + 'period' (a measured interval), so knowing the constituents gives the MWE meaning. This noun+noun composition is common and has clear parallels in many languages (e.g. Spanish "periodo de gracia"), making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The noun grace period comes from the idea of a kind grace or favor that gives an extra period of time after a deadline. Imagine a teacher who lets a student hand work in a few days late without any penalty; that's why grace period means 'extra time' with 'no penalty'.