pendency

[pen-duhn-see]

noun

plural

pendencies 

1. the state or time of being pending, undecided, or undetermined, as of a lawsuit awaiting settlement.

Other Word Forms

• nonpendency noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pendency¹

1630–40 pend(ent) + -ency

Example Sentences

The filing contends that the plaintiffs would suffer “immediate and irreparable harm if the status quo is not preserved during the pendency of this lawsuit.”

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“Given the pendency of the second appeal and the complexities and uncertainties associated with determining the quantum of restitution, the eventual financial impact could be significantly different,” said the bank.

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When people understand that they’re arrested for an offense, and if they’re a likely flight risk or a threat to the community so they’re held in custody during the pendency of their case, that can be a very effective deterrent.

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It said that authority extended “to every offence known to the law and able to be exercised either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment.”

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It made clear that the pardon power “extends to every offense known to the law and may be exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment.”

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