Pending means waiting to be decided, completed, or settled. When something is pending, it's in that in-between state where the outcome isn't final yet. A teacher might tell you that your grade is pending while she finishes reviewing your project. A court case can be pending for months while lawyers gather evidence and prepare arguments.

The word captures that sense of suspension, like a ball frozen in mid-air before it lands. Nothing's been decided yet, but something will be decided soon. You might check an online order and see its status listed as pending, meaning the company received your request but hasn't processed it yet.

People also use pending to mean “while waiting for” or “until.” A student council might make temporary rules pending the principal's approval, meaning those rules apply only until the principal makes a final decision. Or a detective might release some information to the press pending a further investigation.