abeyance

[ uh-bey-uhns ]
/ əˈbeɪ əns /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR abeyance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension: Let's hold that problem in abeyance for a while.
Law. a state or condition of real property in which title is not as yet vested in a known titleholder: an estate in abeyance.

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Origin of abeyance

1520–30; < Anglo-French; Old French abeance aspiration, literally, a gaping at or toward. See a-5, bay2, -ance

Words nearby abeyance

aberystwyth, abessive, abet, abetalipoproteinemia, abettor, abeyance, abeyant, abfarad, abg, abgatha, abh
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to abeyance

inactivity, dormancy, recess, remission, latency, intermission, postponement, quiescence, suspension, discontinuation, waiting

Example sentences from the Web for abeyance

British Dictionary definitions for abeyance

abeyance
/ (əˈbeɪəns) /

noun

(usually preceded by in or into) a state of being suspended or put aside temporarily
(usually preceded by in) law an indeterminate state of ownership, as when the person entitled to an estate has not been ascertained

Derived forms of abeyance

abeyant, adjective

Word Origin for abeyance

C16-17: from Anglo-French, from Old French abeance expectation, literally a gaping after, a reaching towards
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012