Government of Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Held in abeyance

Question:

Do you have an alternative phrase to replace held in abeyance? What does abeyance mean, anyway?

Answer:

There are several options to replace the phrase held in abeyance. You could also say put on hold, suspend, or set aside. In a general context, this phrase means that something (a decision, a discussion, etc.) has been put on hold or suspended temporarily. If something is in abeyance, it is not being used or dealt with at the present time.

In a legal context, however, you need to be careful that abeyance is not being used in a specific legal sense. Using a general synonym might change the meaning.