Word
abeyance
US/əˈbeɪəns/
UK/ɐbˈeɪəns/
Definitions
01temporary suspension
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. a state where a plan, rule, or activity is stopped for a short time.
n. a state of temporary disuse or suspension; often used with the preposition 'in'.
“The project was held in abeyance until the company secured more funding.”
“Legal proceedings were held in abeyance pending the outcome of the supreme court's ruling on a related constitutional matter.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'in abeyance'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02undetermined ownership
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Formal · Technical
n. a situation where it is not yet clear who owns a piece of land or a special title.
n. a condition in which the ownership of real property or a title is undetermined or has no current owner.
“The noble title fell into abeyance because there were no clear heirs to claim it.”
“Upon the death of the last earl without a direct descendant, the estate remained in abeyance while the courts vetted distant relatives.”
Usage
Typically used as an uncountable noun in this legal sense.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“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.” Etymology
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.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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