Pending or Impending?

Pending or 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.)
Of note, the word "impending" often carries a connotation of something negative or threatening.
• The house is likely to flood during the impending storm.


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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":
• There are four pending issues.
• The test results are pending.
• This business is pending.
• Good luck with the pending litigation.
"Pending" can also be used as a preposition with a meaning similar to "until":
• He was released on bail pending an appeal.
• Her trial is suspended pending further evidence.

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":
• They waited for the impending storm.
• Their impending demise ought to have been avoided.
• The battle is impending.

Interactive Exercise

Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.