holding pattern

American

noun

a traffic pattern for aircraft at a specified location holding point where they are ordered to remain until permitted to land or proceed.
a state or period in which no progress or change is made or planned.

holding pattern British

noun

the oval or circular path of an aircraft flying around an airport awaiting permission to land

"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

Etymology

Origin of holding pattern

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fulham are now very much in a Premier League holding pattern.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Treasury yields were little changed as ambiguous signals from the White House about the path forward in the Middle East keep traders in a holding pattern.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The bond market has moved into a holding pattern while traders parse his past statements.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Most Fed watchers and investors also think the central bank will stay in a holding pattern until Powell’s second and last term as chairman ends in May.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

It wasn’t until the third holding pattern southwest of Kennedy Airport that Klotz told ATC that he didn’t think the plane had enough fuel to reach an alternative airport.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023