abeyance

noun

the project was left in abeyance for the time being:

suspension, a state of suspension, a state of dormancy, a state of latency, a state of uncertainty, suspense, remission, reserve;

pending, suspended, deferred, postponed, put off, put to one side, unattended, unfinished, incomplete, unresolved, undetermined, up in the air, betwixt and between;

informal in cold storage, on ice, on the back burner, hanging fire.

▷antonyms in hand, under way, continuing.

□ hold something in abeyance

the application was held in abeyance whilst legal advice was sought:

suspend, adjourn, interrupt, break off, postpone, delay, defer, shelve, arrest, put off, intermit, prorogue, hold over, put aside, pigeonhole;

reschedule;

cut short, bring to an end, cease, discontinue, dissolve, disband, terminate, call a halt to;

North American table;

informal put on ice, put on the back burner, mothball;

North American, informal take a rain check on.

▷antonyms continue, resume.

abeyance Oxford Dictionary of English