abeyance
- 01 C1 Advanced
a state where a plan, rule, or activity is stopped for a short time.
a state of temporary disuse or suspension; often used with the preposition 'in'.
Simple“The project was held in abeyance until the company secured more funding.”
In context“Legal proceedings were held in abeyance pending the outcome of the supreme court's ruling on a related constitutional matter.”
UsageCommonly appears in the fixed phrase 'in abeyance'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a situation where it is not yet clear who owns a piece of land or a special title.
a condition in which the ownership of real property or a title is undetermined or has no current owner.
Simple“The noble title fell into abeyance because there were no clear heirs to claim it.”
In context“Upon the death of the last earl without a direct descendant, the estate remained in abeyance while the courts vetted distant relatives.”
UsageTypically used as an uncountable noun in this legal sense.
Synonyms
“The 2019 murder of the journalist Lyra McKee in Derry was a grim reminder that, while the Troubles are in abeyance, it’s still a stretch to describe them as being over.”
“Pakistan welcomed the ruling which comes amid tensions over India’s decision to put the treaty in abeyance after the 2025 Pahalgam attack.”
First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance (“legal expectation”), from Old French abeance (“desire”) from abeër (“to gape at, aspire after”), abaer, abair (“to desire”), from a (“to”) + baër (“to gape”), bair (“yawn”), from Medieval Latin batō (“to yawn”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.