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

Since becoming leader in 2023, ap Iorwerth has moved his party's focus away from independence as a central issue, and is pitching his party as a pragmatic government in waiting.

From BBC

It was confirmation that City are the best team in the country this season, that they are the champions in waiting, and only have to seal it mathematically.

From BBC

She shone in three Christopher Guest movies, paired with Fred Willard in “Waiting for Guffman” as community stars; opposite Levy in “Best in Show,” as a dog handler with a lot of ex-boyfriends; with Levy again in “A Mighty Wind,” as a reuniting ‘60s folk duo; and in “For Your Consideration” as an aging actress dreaming of an Oscar.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Waiting For Guffman,” a film written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, O’Hara portrays Sheila, a woman who wears several hats.

From Los Angeles Times

Surgeons are warning that access to theatre space and staff burnout could affect further improvement in waiting times.

From BBC

Related Words

• delayed
• negotiated
• postponed