abeyance

IPA/əˈbeɪəns/
KK[əbˈeəns]IPA/əˈbeɪəns/

abeyance — noun

1. a temporary pause or delay in a rule, law, process, or activity that was previou

1.nounC1
Definition

a temporary pause or delay in a rule, law, process, or activity that was previously active or in use, often with the possibility that it may resume later

Example

The company's expansion plan was kept in abeyance until the market showed signs of recovery.

passive construction: be kept in abeyance (of plans)

Judge Rania put the case in abeyance while the police gathered more evidence.

collocation: put [something] in abeyance

Common collocations
  • in abeyance
  • hold in abeyance
  • keep in abeyance
  • put in abeyance
  • fall into abeyance
  • go into abeyance
Synonyms
  • suspension

    more general term; emphasises the act of stopping something, while abeyance stresses a temporary, unresolved holding pattern

  • hiatus

    focuses on a break or gap in a sequence; slightly less formal than abeyance

  • dormancy

    suggests a state of rest or sleep, often used for biological or legal matters; implies potential future awakening

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

hold/keep/put + [something] + in abeyance

fall/go + into abeyance

be + in abeyance

Usage Note

Frequently paired with 'in' as part of fixed prepositional phrases. Common transitive patterns are 'hold/keep/put [something] in abeyance'; common intransitive patterns are 'fall/go into abeyance'.

Common Mistakes

The new law was kept on abeyance.
The new law was kept in abeyance.
the only correct preposition is 'in', not 'on', 'under', or 'at'.
The project abeyanced for six months.
The project was held in abeyance for six months.
'abeyance' is a noun, not a verb; it needs a supporting verb like 'hold' or 'keep'.

Word family

  • abeyant
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Abeyance, suspension, hiatus, dormancy, and remission all describe a state of inactivity, but they differ in scope and context. Suspension is the broadest term and can apply to anything deliberately stopped or postponed (the suspension of the athlete). Hiatus suggests a gap or break in a continuous sequence, often planned or expected (a two-week hiatus between semesters). Dormancy is used when something is not active but could become active again with the right conditions, especially in biology or law (a dormant volcano; dormant partnership rights). Remission is largely medical, referring to a temporary reduction in disease symptoms (cancer in remission). Abeyance carries a feeling of uncertainty: something is not resolved and is simply 'on hold' until a condition changes. For example, a construction project 'in abeyance' has been paused due to lack of funds; a membership 'held in abeyance' is waiting for payment. Abeyance is the most formal of the group and typically implies an external cause for the pause.

suspension ↗hiatus ↗dormancy ↗remission

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in abeyance
  • into abeyance
  • held in abeyance
  • kept in abeyance
  • put in abeyance
  • fall into abeyance
  • go into abeyance

Prepositions

Etymology

Anglo-FrenchOld FrenchEnglish

From Anglo-French 'abeyance', from Old French 'abeance' meaning 'expectation, desire for something'. The word breaks down as 'a-' (to, towards) + 'baer, beer' (to gape, to be open). The original sense was legal: property that was 'gaping' or waiting for a rightful owner. By the 17th century, it had broadened to refer to any state of temporary waiting or suspension.

First known use

1530

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 2