abeyance

1 synonym and 4 antonyms for abeyance, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — (law) A state in which it is not yet settled who owns a piece of land or a title.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

(law) A state in which it is not yet settled who owns a piece of land or a title.

“The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.”

suspension

2. noun

A temporary stop or pause; a dormant state.

“The palace had previously that the duke’s military appointments were in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.”

Opposites

force exercise action operation

Etymology

First recorded in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance ("legal expectation"), from Old French abeance ("desire"), which came from abeër ("to gape at, aspire after"), abaer, abair ("to desire"), made up of a ("to") and baër ("to gape"), bair ("yawn"), from Medieval Latin batō ("to yawn").

Full origin of abeyance →

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