limbo
n. uncountablen. a state where you are waiting for a decision or change, but nothing is happening. It feels like being stuck between two stages without knowing what will happen next.
n. an intermediate or transitional state characterized by uncertainty, neglect, or lack of progress. Often describes a period of waiting for a formal resolution that is delayed or stalled.
My visa application is in limbo while they check my documents.
The legal case remained in limbo for months as both parties waited for the judge to review the new evidence.
After the merger was announced, the employees lived in a state of professional limbo, unsure whether their specific departments would be integrated or dissolved entirely by the new parent company.
The noun is derived from Middle English limbo, lymbo (“place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven”), from Latin limbō, the ablative singular of limbus (“border, edge; hem; fringe, tassel”) (notably in expressions like in limbō (“in limbo”) and e limbō (“out of limbo”)); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European lemb- (“to hang limply or loosely”), from Proto-Indo-European leb- (“to hang down loosely (?)”). Doublet of limp. The verb is derived from the noun.
Origin uncertain; possibly an alteration of limber (“bendable, flexible, pliant”) with the ending of the word respelled to represent a Caribbean English pronunciation. It is unclear whether the verb is derived from the noun, or the noun is derived from the verb; the noun is attested slightly earlier.
Commonly used in the prepositional phrase 'in limbo'.