noun
limbo
LIM-boh/ˈlɪmbəʊ/
An unresolved intermediate state outside a settled destination.
His move remains in limbo as he waits beside his packed belongings.
Etymology
Latin limbus, “border,” named a supposed region on the edge of Hell. Through the figurative idea of confinement or neglect, limbo came to describe an unresolved or indefinitely delayed state.
In context
findings remain in limbo, acknowledged but never acted upon.
More examples
- The project stays in limbo until the board approves funding.
- A missing document leaves her application in limbo.
- Some Christian traditions describe limbo as a state for souls outside heaven or hell.
Similar words
- uncertainty
- Emphasizes doubt rather than a suspended or unresolved position.
- suspension
- Emphasizes a temporary halt rather than an unsettled status.