Obeyance

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A situation characterized by the suspension of actions or duties where responsibilities remain unfulfilled and engagement is deferred
2. A state in which actions or duties are paused, causing a delay in fulfilling responsibilities
3. The condition of putting obligations or processes on hold, leading to postponed involvement

Etymology: "Obeyance" looks like it should mean something close to obedience, but its real ancestor is "abeyance," a legal term for a state of suspension. Abeyance comes from Anglo-French "abeiance," used in medieval property law for an estate whose owner was not yet determined, so the title hung in suspension until someone claimed it. Over time the sense broadened to any matter put on hold, and that is the meaning this spelling inherits. The spelling "obeyance" is a misspelling or alteration of "abeyance," produced by association with "obey." Writers who heard the word spoken, or who met it in a context of duty, may have reshaped its ending to match the familiar verb, and the form then spread as a variant. Because "obey" has nothing to do with suspension, the connection is purely one of sound and spelling, not sense.

Synonyms: compliance, obedience, submission

Antonyms: disobedience, rebellion, defiance