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abeyance

UK/əˈbeɪ.ən(t)s/US/əˈbeɪ.ən(t)s/
nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,616 of 15,258leans written

Abeyance is a state of being suspended for the time being. Hold it in abeyance, fall into abeyance, the rule is in abeyance.

It nearly always appears in the phrase in abeyance, and it means paused rather than cancelled, so the thing can be taken up again. In law a title falls into abeyance when more than one claimant has an equal right and none can take it.

Definitions of abeyance

  1. 1nounabeyanceA state of being suspended for the time being.C2

    “The plan was held in abeyance until the funding was settled.”

abeyance is a state.

Where it comes from

Anglo-Norman abeiance meant a legal expectation, from Old French abeer, to gape at or aspire after; a title in abeyance was one still gaped at by rival claimants.

  1. Medieval Latin

    batō — to yawn

  2. Old French

    abeance — desire

  3. Anglo-Norman

    abeiance — legal expectation

  4. English, today

    abeyance

Built from

  • abeer · Old French — to gape at, aspire after
  • abair · Old French — to desire
  • a · Old French — to
  • baer · Old French — to gape

First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance (“legal expectation”), from Old French abeance (“desire”) from abeer (“to gape at, aspire after”), abaer, abair (“to desire”), from a (“to”) + baer (“to gape”), bair (“yawn”), from Medieval Latin batō (“to yawn”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

abeyance in the wild

  • If B is still alive, the remainder is held in abeyance because B can have no legal heir until B's own death.

    Abeyance

  • The term hold in abeyance is used in lawsuits and court cases when a case is temporarily put on hold.

    Abeyance

  • The barony remained in abeyance for 175 years, until the abeyance was terminated in 1838 in favour of George Charles Mostyn, who became the sixth Baron.

    Baron Vaux of Harrowden

  • On his death in 1935 the title fell into abeyance between his three daughters, the Hon.

    Baron Vaux of Harrowden

  • The barony fell into abeyance between the Earl's five daughters, Lady Katherine, Lady Anne, Lady Isabel, Lady Margaret and Lady Mary.

    Baron de Clifford

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.