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suspension

suh-SPEN-shuhn /səˈspen.shuhn/

nounB2SATACTTOEFL

legalformal

The temporary removal or withholding of a privilege, right, or office; in traffic law, the temporary loss of one's driver's license.

Unlike a revocation (which permanently cancels a license), a suspension is temporary, meaning the driving privilege will be restored after a set period and the payment of a fee.

The story behind the word. Suspension comes from the Latin 'suspendere', which literally means 'to hang up'. It is built from 'sub-' (under) and 'pendere' (to hang). Think of hanging your coat on a peg—it is temporarily lifted off the ground and put out of active use. When your license is suspended, the state is literally hanging it up on a hook where you cannot touch it.

Word relationships

revocation: Revocation is the permanent cancellation of a license, requiring the driver to reapply and retest, while suspension is a temporary pause.
abeyance: Abeyance is a state of temporary disuse or suspension, but it is rarely used to describe driver's licenses.

reinstatement: Reinstatement is the restoration of a license or privilege that was previously suspended or revoked.

Commonly confused with

suspense: Suspense is a state of nervous excitement or uncertainty, while suspension is the physical or legal act of pausing something.

Word family

suspend (verb): To temporarily prevent from continuing or being in force.

Collocations

license suspension
temporary suspension
lift a suspension
suspension period

Example sentences

"Accumulating too many points on your driving record within a single year will result in an automatic suspension of your license." A warning from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
"The judge ordered a thirty-day suspension of her driving privileges as part of the penalty for reckless driving." A court ruling on a serious traffic violation.

Memory hook

Think of a 'suspension bridge' hanging in the air; your driving privileges are hanging in limbo, not touching the road. Suspension hangs your license on a hook.

When not to use

Do not use when referring to a permanent loss of driving privileges, which is a revocation.

Fun facts

Driving on a suspended license is a serious misdemeanor in most states and can lead to immediate arrest and vehicle impoundment, transforming a simple traffic issue into a criminal record.