pending

pending — adjective

1. not finished, approved, or announced yet, though a result or event is expected s

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

not finished, approved, or announced yet, though a result or event is expected soon.

Example

The court left the fraud case pending until the missing witness returned.

pattern: leave something pending

Maria's visa application is still pending at the Taipei service center.

common pattern: be still pending

Common collocations
  • pending case
  • pending application
  • pending payment
  • pending decision
  • pending charges
Synonyms
  • unresolved

    best for problems or disputes that still have no answer

  • outstanding

    often used for work, payments, or debts still not finished

  • imminent

    only means likely very soon; it does not suggest review or delay

Antonyms
  • settled

    already decided or arranged

  • completed

    already finished or dealt with

  • final

    officially decided with nothing left to wait for

Grammar Patterns

be pending

pending + noun

Usage Note

Often used for applications, cases, payments, or decisions that have not reached a final result. Distinguish from preposition sense 1: 'the case is pending' uses the adjective, while 'pending the decision' means 'until the decision comes'.

Common Mistakes

I am pending the visa.
My visa application is pending.
this adjective describes the case, form, payment, or decision, not the person who is waiting.

pending — preposition

Word family

  • pendency
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For adjective/1, pending is especially useful in official or work situations where something has not reached a final result yet, and sometimes where it is expected very soon. Unresolved is close when a problem or dispute still has no answer, but it is less natural for events: an unresolved complaint sounds fine, while an unresolved storm does not. Undecided usually refers to a choice people have not made yet, such as an undecided vote. Outstanding often means still unfinished or unpaid, so an outstanding bill may simply need payment. Imminent only covers the "coming soon" side and says nothing about review or delay. A visa application can be pending, a complaint unresolved, a plan undecided, and a storm imminent.

pending ↗unresolvedundecided ↗outstanding ↗imminent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • still pending

Phrases

  • be pending
  • leave pending
  • pending approval
  • pending review

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Pending comes from Latin pendere, meaning "to hang", through French and later English legal use. The core image is of something left hanging without a final answer. That is why a case, payment, or application can be pending. English later extended the word to the time before another event happens, so pending also works as a formal preposition in phrases like "pending approval".