noun

abeyance

uh-BAY-uns/əˈbeɪəns/

A temporary state of being suspended or inactive.

The unfinished chair project remains in abeyance during the maker's short break.

Show a woodworking project temporarily in abeyance through a compact work–pause–resume sequence.

Etymology

aOld Frenchat, toward

+beyOld Frenchto gape, be open

+anceOld Frenchstate or condition

Gaping toward something supplied an image of aspiration or expectation. In law, expectation of receiving property shifted to the property's temporary lack of an owner, leading to the broader sense of suspended activity.

In context

Columbia GSAPP20:24

a non-regulation district implied that the civil and criminal procedures that govern the rest of the region were held in abeyance in this enclave

Infrastructures of Violence

More examples

Construction remained in abeyance throughout the dispute.
They agreed to keep negotiations in abeyance for a week.
Her application is in abeyance while officials review the records.

Similar words

suspension: A broader temporary stopping that can include formal punishment.
postponement: Moves something to a later time rather than suspending its operation.