WORD OF THE DAY: ABEYANCE
noun|uh-BAY-unss
What It Means
Abeyance is a formal word that is almost always used in the phrase “in abeyance” to describe something in a temporary state of inactivity—that is, something in a state of suspension.
// The legal case is now being held in abeyance while the parties attempt to find a mutually acceptable solution.
Examples of ABEYANCE
“A restaurant popular with college students … will temporarily lose its liquor license for more than a week in October after the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission found multiple underage patrons consuming alcohol. … The actual liquor license suspension issued lasts for 18 days, but only nine of those days must be served, from Oct. 7 to 15, according to the report. The other nine days ‘will be held in abeyance for a period of two years provided no further violations’ are found …” — Katelyn Umholtz, Boston.com, 12 Sept. 2024.
Did You Know?
Jaw-dropping suspense is at the etymological heart of abeyance: the word’s Anglo-French forbear joined parts meaning “to open wide” and “to have the mouth wide open; gape, pant.” Almost always partnered with the word in, abeyance refers to a temporary lull in activity—a state of suspension (and perhaps suspense) before an action continues. If something, such as a plan or contract, is in abeyance, it is temporarily unable to take effect, be enforced, etc. When first borrowed into English in the early 16th century, abeyance referred to a lapse in succession during which there exists no person with a legal right to an estate or title of nobility; think of a property or title in this type of abeyance as being in a state of limbo, waiting for a rightful heir or owner. This meaning comes directly from its Anglo-French ancestor, which took the jaw-dropping suspense implied in the word’s parts and applied it to the edge-of-one’s-seat feeling when you don’t know who the next Earl or Countess will be.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
