in waiting

Idioms  

1. In attendance, especially on a royal personage. For example, The prelates who were in waiting asked him to take the last rites. This usage has become less common with the diminution of royalty and royal courts but still survives. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in waiting

The rise in waiting lists comes despite the NHS in England delivering what were described as record levels of planned, elective care over the summer, while demand for services also reached its highest level ever.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

A plastic crate holds more wood in waiting.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

If no one sparks a contest, then Burnham will be crowned Labour leader -- and prime minister in waiting -- at a special conference on July 17.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Somehow, though, Sara Dosa’s documentary on this matter, “Time and Water,” avoids playing like a funeral in waiting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

They seemed like people Farmer had seen in waiting rooms in the dreadful public clinics he’d visited throughout the country.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Related Words

• delayed
• negotiated
• postponed

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