suspended animation

American  

noun

1. a state of temporary cessation of the vital functions.

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suspended animation British  

noun

1. a temporary cessation of the vital functions, as by freezing an organism

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Etymology

Origin of suspended animation

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

suspended animation

‘The Matrix films were based on the idea that machine-addicted humans would put their bodies in suspended animation.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

As William “Buck” Rogers, Gerard played a 20th century astronaut who had come out of suspended animation 500 years in the future, only to discover a planet in ruins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025

This time of year invites us all, believers and atheists alike, to emerge from our own suspended animation or curled-up little balls, like cummings writes at the end of that poem:

From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2025

The new study, published in the journal Protein Science, examines the mechanisms used by tardigrades to enter and exit from suspended animation when faced by environmental stress.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2024

When my father discovered my colony of frozen slugs in the basement freezer, I chose not to explain my complex theories of suspended animation.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris