Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A state of temporary disuse or suspension.'

Question

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A state of temporary disuse or suspension.'

1. A. Intermission
2. B. Recess
3. C. Abeyance (Correct answer)
4. D. Dormancy

Correct Answer

Option C — Abeyance

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Abeyance.

Key Points

• Abeyance is a state of temporary disuse or suspension, typically of a rule, right or claim that may later be revived — as in "the policy was held in abeyance".
• The distractors are close but distinct:
  • Intermission — a scheduled break during a performance
  • Recess — a break in the sittings of a court or legislature
  • Dormancy — a biological or natural inactivity, as of a seed or volcano
• Only *abeyance* carries the sense of a right or provision formally suspended yet capable of revival.

Additional Information

• Compare desuetude, a state of disuse arising from neglect over time, often said of laws that were never repealed but ceased to be applied — the two are frequently offered against each other.
• The phrase "in abeyance" is the form in which the word almost always appears, especially in legal and administrative writing.
• Precision between near-synonyms is the whole test in one-word substitution; group them by shade of meaning rather than learning them singly.