Meanings
prepositional phrase
- On hold; at a moment of inactivity.
Then I hereby declare this treaty in abeyance.
1989, Melinda M. Snodgrass, “The Ensigns of Command”, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 3, episode 2, spoken by Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)1 more example
His defences were all in his wits and cunning, his very instincts of cunning, and when these were in abeyance he seemed doubly naked and like a child, of unfinished, tender flesh, and somehow struggling helplessly.
1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter III, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Cite this entry
APA
in abeyance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20abeyance
MLA
“in abeyance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20abeyance. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in abeyance,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20abeyance.
Source: in abeyance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.