a. [ad. med.L. suspensīvus (whence F. suspensif, Pr. suspensiv, It. sospensivo, Sp., Pg. suspensivo), f. suspens-, pa. ppl. stem of suspendĕre to SUSPEND: see -IVE.]
† 1. Liable to be suspended or temporarily stopped; intermittent. Obs.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, III. 365. (Quod Venus) Quha maid that caus suspensiue: Quha had power sic Actis to decline?
1792. W. Roberts, Looker-on, No. 23 (1794), I. 332. The action of bribery being thus suspensive and temporary.
† 2. Kept undetermined or undecided; subject to doubt. Obs.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, III. 315. This dittay is geuin in sinisterlie: And in the self that point is suspensiue. Ibid., 798. I suppone thir wemen ar Include … For to fulfill the number suspensiue.
† 3. Liable to be suspended (from office). Obs.
1575. Brieff Disc. Troub. Franckford (1846), 102. What then shulde haue become off oure church with thies their suspensyve ministers and withe the discipline and all other thinges?
1606. J. Carpenter, Solomon’s Solace, vi. 23 b. Whether his … Maiestie hath holden either of vs or our dealings suspensiue.
4. Having the power or effect of suspending, deferring or temporarily stopping the operation of something; involving such suspension; spec. in Law, applied to a condition or obligation of which the operation is suspended until some event takes place.
a. 1623. Swinburne, Spousals (1686), 59. That the Verb (Volo) doth of its own nature always import a Will, but sometimes a Will suspensive of that which is to come.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 346. The Law of Nature (which you say is Legislative, and hath a suspensive Power over all human Laws).
1791. State Papers, in Ann. Reg., 167*. The suspensive refusal of the king is thus expressed—The king will examine.
1818. Colebrooke, Obligations, I. iii. 10. If the agreement bear, that the obligation shall not presently have effect but remain inoperative until the event be certain, the condition is precedent and suspensive; and the conditional obligation is termed a suspensive one.
1821. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Writ. 1892, I. 144. Shall the king have a negative on the laws? shall that negative be absolute, or suspensive only?
1822. Ranken, Hist. France, X. iv. IX. 312. The king … voluntarily declared his preference of the suspensive veto.
1826. G. J. Bell, Comm. Laws Scot. (ed. 5), I. 237. Suspensive Conditions are such as suspend the sale and stay the transfer till something be done.
1884. Spectator, 9 Aug. A suspensive veto in the Lords means the power to compel the House of Commons to pass every great measure twice over.
1902. A. T. Carter, Law Contract, 70. This is sometimes called a suspensive condition, for it hangs the contract up.
5. Inclined to suspend one’s judgment; undecided in mind; of, pertaining to, characterized by, or in a state of suspense. († rarely predicative.)
1614. Jackson, Creed, III. xvii. § 11. The Lord expels not his suspensive rather than diffident admiration with signs and wonders.
1620. Rawlinson, Conf. St. Aug., 226. She knew that I was then brought to that suspensive state of mind by his meanes.
1656. Burton’s Diary (1828), I. 35. You will not longer … be so suspensive what you shall do with him.
1662. Hibbert, Body Div., I. 174. In an unconstant man there is … a doubtful and suspensive life.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, II. xv. A suspensive discomfort inquieted his mind.
1847. Grote, Greece, II. xxxvii. IV. 514. That conspicuous characteristic of Grecian philosophy—the antagonist force of suspensive scepticism.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., lxvi. The passion for watching chances—the habitual suspensive poise of the mind.
b. Of a word, phrase, etc.: Expressing or indicating suspense; keeping the reader or hearer in suspense.
1711. J. Greenwood, Eng. Gram., I. xxii. 162. I shall therefore divide the Conjunctions into Conjunctions Copulative; into Disjunctive…; into Suspensive, or of doubting; [etc.].
1836. Gladstone, in Morley Life (1903), I. II. iii. 133. The Duke of Wellington … receives remarks made to him very frequently with no more than ‘Ha,’ a convenient, suspensive expression, which acknowledges the arrival of the observation and no more.
1842. Blackw. Mag., LII. 342. We have no long sentences, no careless sentences,… no suspensive sentences.
6. Characterized by physical suspension. rare.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xvii. (1842), 477. If a body is to have a suspensive insulation, then silk thread or cord may be advantageously resorted to.
1872. Daily News, 1 Aug. I might occupy any position at all—perpendicular, horizontal, suspensive, or otherwise.
