suspended

American  

[suh-spen-did] / səˈspɛn dɪd /

adjective

1. hung by attachment to something above.

   A suspended ceiling can conceal ducts and wiring, enhance acoustics, and provide thermal insulation.

2. attached so as to allow free movement, as on a hinge.

   The wardrobe is available with either sliding doors or suspended doors.

3. (of particles of one substance in the medium of another) kept from falling, sinking, forming a deposit, etc..

   Her paper describes the content and dynamics of heavy metals in the suspended sediments of a coastal bay.

4. held or kept undetermined or unformed.

   In order to understand others, you need an attitude of suspended judgment—an open mind.

5. Law. (of a sentence) not required to be served, as long as the offender does not reoffend within a specified time period.

   After his first offense he was given a suspended sentence of one year’s probation, with no jail time.

6. stopped, discontinued, or withdrawn, usually temporarily.

   Because he was not only impaired but driving on a suspended license, he was charged with aggravated DUI—a felony.

7. debarred temporarily from exercising an office or privilege, usually as a form of discipline.

   Suspended students can come to our center for tutoring and counseling instead of just playing video games at home.

8. deferred or postponed.

   Some defended the court’s suspended verdict, while others protested that “justice delayed is justice denied.”

9. Music.

   1. (of a note or tone) prolonged or sustained into the next chord.

      The third piece, “Meditation,” uses suspended tones to capture a dreamy, contemplative mood.

   2. (of a chord) made by replacing the third note in a triad with an adjacent note, producing a lack of resolution.

      I think her acoustic guitar pieces rely too much on suspended chords.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of suspend.

Other Word Forms

• nonsuspended
  adjective
• self-suspended
  adjective
• unsuspended
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of suspended

First recorded in 1530–40; suspend ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; suspend ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Explanation

Suspended particles seem to float in liquid. You may have seen hand sanitizing gels with tiny suspended dots throughout the clear liquid. Particles that are suspended seem to hang in a liquid. In fact, Old French and Latin define pendere as "hang." Think of other words you know that are like suspended, such as that word's other definition, "to put off temporarily." A student suspended from school has not been kicked out, but instead is left hanging between periods of enrollment. Then there is pending: a decision that is pending hasn't been made yet, so people wait, hanging on until they know what will happen.

Example Sentences

A Kenyan court has suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens in the country, which has sparked public concern about cross-border infection risks.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Both were subsequently handed suspended death sentences on graft charges.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

At least 17 groups have had their nonprofit status revoked by the California secretary of state’s office and another 31 have been suspended by the agency that oversees the state’s tax system.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

South Korean authorities charged him with illegal entry and gave him a suspended prison sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

His driver’s license may be automatically suspended, and he may no longer qualify for certain employment and professional licenses.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• deferred
• delayed