suspend

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verb sus·pend \sə-ˈspend\

Definition of suspend

transitive verb
1 : to debar temporarily especially from a privilege, office, or function suspend a student from school
2a : to cause to stop temporarily suspend bus serviceb : to set aside or make temporarily inoperative suspend the rules
3 : to defer to a later time on specified conditions suspend sentence
4 : to hold in an undetermined or undecided state awaiting further information suspend judgment suspend disbelief
5a : hang; especially : to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support suspend a ball by a threadb : to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support (such as buoyancy) dust suspended in the airc : to put or hold in suspension suspended sediment
6a : to keep fixed or lost (as in wonder or contemplation)b : to keep waiting in suspense or indecision
7 : to hold (a musical note) over into the following chord
intransitive verb
1 : to cease operation temporarily
2 : to stop payment or fail to meet obligations
3 : hang

See suspend defined for English-language learners

See suspend defined for kids

Examples of suspend in a Sentence

He was suspended from the team for missing too many practices.
The police officers were suspended without pay for their conduct.
The principal suspended the student from school for fighting.
The city suspended bus service during the storm.
The company was forced to suspend operations.
They have suspended the peace talks.
I advise suspending judgment until the investigation is over.
Her license to practice law was suspended.
We can suspend the rules just this once.
He's driving with a suspended license.

Recent Examples of suspend from the Web

The building has been used in the past to hold meetings between the two countries, which suspended high-level talks in 2015 amid tensions.

— krishnadev calamur, The Atlantic, "Will North Korea Accept the South's Offer of Talks?," 17 July 2017
He was suspended from the team during the spring and summer.

— mark heim, AL.com, "Florida's Antonio Callaway pleads no contest to one charge, while another is dropped," 17 July 2017
In addition to the prison sentence, King’s driver’s license was suspended for life.

— kevin grasha, Cincinnati.com, "Man serves 7 years for deadly drunk driving, gets license back in error and is headed back to jail," 17 July 2017
GLP shares, which were suspended, surged 22 percent to S$3.30 after trading resumed in Singapore.

— pooja thakur mahrotri, Bloomberg.com, "Singapore Warehouse Giant Sells to Chinese Bidder for Record $11.6 Billion," 14 July 2017
She was charged Sunday with driving while her registration was suspended.

— The Aegis, "Police blotter: From Aberdeen to Fallston to Street," 14 July 2017
Mr Trump’s commission on electoral fraud suspended its request for states to submit information on voters, after legal challenges from privacy and civil-rights groups.

— The Economist, "Politics this week," 13 July 2017
Park Board President Eric Allen said according to a 2011 master plan, swimming in the lake was suspended in 2008 due to funding difficulties.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "City weighs pros, cons of Robinson Lake swimming," 12 July 2017
The government of Yemen has suspended a request for cholera vaccine to fight the deadly outbreak that since April 27 has infected a reported 320,199 Yemenis and killed 1742.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Cholera vaccination campaign in Yemen is dropped," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suspend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

When something is suspended, it is "left hanging;" it is neither in full operation nor permanently ended. Suspense is a state of uncertainty and maybe anxiety. When we watch a play or movie, we enjoy experiencing a "suspension of disbelief;" that is, we allow ourselves to believe we're watching reality, even though we aren't truly fooled.Suspension can also mean physical hanging; thus, in a suspension bridge, the roadway actually hangs from huge cables. When some substance is "in suspension", its particles are "hanging" in another substance, mixed into it but not actually dissolved, like fine sand in water, or sea spray in the air at the seashore.

Origin and Etymology of suspend

Middle English, from Anglo-French suspendre, from Latin suspendere, from sub-, sus- up + pendere to cause to hang, weigh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of suspend

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding. defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time. deferred buying a car until spring postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time. the game is postponed until Saturday suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied. business will be suspended while repairs are under way stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority. the governor stayed the execution

SUSPEND Defined for English Language Learners

suspend

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verb

Definition of suspend for English Language Learners

: to force (someone) to leave a job, position, or place for a usually short period of time as a form of punishment
: to stop (something) for a usually short period of time
: to make (something) happen later : to delay (something)

SUSPEND Defined for Kids

suspend

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verb sus·pend \sə-ˈspend\

Definition of suspend for Students

suspended

;

suspending

1 : to force to give up some right or office for a time The cheater was suspended from school.
2 : to hang especially so as to be free except at one point A light bulb was suspended from the ceiling.
3 : to stop or do away with for a time The principal is suspending a rule.
4 : to stop operation or action for a time All business suspended during the storm.

Word Root of suspend

The Latin word pendere, meaning “to cause to hang down,” gives us the root pend. Words from the Latin pendere have something to do with hanging. To suspend is to cause something to hang down from a single point. To depend is to hang, or rely, on the support of others. A pendant is an ornament that hangs free, as on a necklace. A pendulum is an object hung from a point that swings freely back and forth, as in a clock.

Law Dictionary

suspend

transitive verb sus·pend

Legal Definition of suspend

1 : to debar temporarily from a privilege, office, or function
2a : to stop temporarily suspend trading b : to make temporarily ineffective suspend a license c : stay suspend a hearing d : to defer until a later time — see also suspended sentence at sentence