Pending or Impending?
What Is the Difference between "Pending" and "Impending"?
"Pending" and "impending" are easy to confuse because they both describe a future event. However, there is a clear difference between "pending" and "impending."- "Pending" means awaiting an outcome (e.g., a decision, a settlement, a conclusion, a confirmation).
- Sarah's exam results are pending. (This means that Sarah's exam results have not yet been received. "Pending" does not give a sense that the results are due soon.)
- "Impending" means imminent or about to happen.
- Sarah's exam results are impending. (This means that Sarah's exam results are due in the very near future.)
- The house is likely to flood during the impending storm.
- There are four pending issues.
- The test results are pending.
- This business is pending.
- Good luck with the pending litigation.
- He was released on bail pending an appeal.
- Her trial is suspended pending further evidence.
- They waited for the impending storm.
- Their impending demise ought to have been avoided.
- The battle is impending.
More about "Pending" and "Impending"
The words "pending" and "impending" are close in meaning to the extent that Thesauruses offer one as a synonym for the other, but they're not the same. While confusing these words does not constitute a grammatical howler, you might portray yourself as a muddled thinker if you use the wrong one.Pending
The adjective "pending" means awaiting an outcome (e.g., a decision, a settlement, a conclusion, or a confirmation).Example sentences with "pending":
Impending
The adjective "impending" means "imminent" or "about to happen." It often carries a negative connotation (i.e., the imminent event will be bad).Example sentences with "impending":
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