abeyance

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English

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WOTD – 16 June 2012

Etymology

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First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance (“legal expectation”), from Old French abeance (“desire”) from abeër (“to gape at, aspire after”), abaer, abair (“to desire”), from a (“to”) + baër (“to gape”),[1] bair (“yawn”), from Medieval Latin batō (“to yawn”).[2][3]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /əˈbeɪ.əns/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio (Canada):(file)

Noun

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abeyance (countable and uncountable, plural abeyances)

  1. (law) Expectancy; a condition when an ownership of real property is undetermined; lapse in succession of ownership of estate, or title. [Late 16th century][4]
    The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.
    • 1765, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England:
      Yet sometimes the fee may be in abeyance, that is (as the word signifies) in expectation, remembrance, and contemplation in law; there being no person in esse, in whom it can vest and abide […]
    • 1985 [1967], John Bartholomew & Son Limited, “Antarctica”, in The Times Atlas of the World, 7th comprehensive edition, Times Books Limited, →ISBN, plate 123:
      Note: Under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 all territorial claims are held under abeyance in the interest of international co-operation for scientific purposes.
  2. Suspension; temporary suppression; dormant condition. [Mid 17th century][4]
    • 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 376:
      Without a plausible explanation for what might have provoked an ice age, the whole theory fell into abeyance.
    • 2020 July 29, Ian Prosser discusses with Paul Stephen, “Rail needs robust and strategic plans”, in Rail, page 40:
      [...] Prosser was instrumental in the decision in 2010 to recommence publication of an annual health and safety report, following a period when it had fallen into abeyance.
    • 2022 January 13, Ben Quinn, “Queen strips Prince Andrew of military roles and royal patronages”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      The palace had previously that the duke’s military appointments were in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.
  3. Expectancy of a noble or armigeral title, its right in existence but its exercise suspended.
    The broad pennant of a commodore first class has been in abeyance since 1958, together with the rank.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

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  1. ^ William Morris, editor (1969 (1971 printing)), “abeyance”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New York, N.Y.: American Heritage Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 3.
  2. ^ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 3
  3. ^ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 2
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abeyance”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 4.
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