holding pattern

American  

noun

1. a traffic pattern for aircraft at a specified location holding point where they are ordered to remain until permitted to land or proceed.

2. a state or period in which no progress or change is made or planned.

---

holding pattern British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of holding pattern

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

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

From BBC • May 25, 2026

U.S. rates markets were moving from acute escalation risk toward a cautious holding pattern after the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, but confidence in durability remains limited, the strategists said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The Flightradar24 tracking website earlier showed planes circling above the airport in an apparent holding pattern.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 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

But the room, although dim, isn’t dark enough, so I switch my mind into the holding pattern that passes for attention.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood