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 stopped, discontinued, or withdrawn, usually temporarily.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

Derived Forms

• nonsuspended
  adjective
• unsuspended
  adjective
• self-suspended
  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

The town’s elected board of commissioners suspended Boaz and later fired him, prompting him to sue the town.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

But from where we sat, it was as if we were inside a sun going up at night, the suspended bands of light brightening and intensifying our yellow abode.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

And there was a further setback for Blanche when a federal judge ruled that the plan should be suspended to allow a legal challenge to move forward.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Gangs started taking control of Venezuela's mines after late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez suspended all foreign mining concessions in 2011, Boon said.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Fortunately, the loops around his legs held firm, and instead of falling completely off the beanstalk, Jack found himself suspended upside down over nothing.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• deferred
• delayed