Suspended meaning in English

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Definition

to be suspended (from school): to be excluded temporarily (from school) verb
I was suspended from school for 1 week for setting fire to the science lab.
to suspend (the meat from a hook): to hang, to attach (the meat from a hook) verb
to suspend (someone's driving licence): to temporarily cancel (someone's driving licence) idiom

Examples

  • "a six-year-old schoolboy was suspended for bringing a handgun to school."
  • "The police said that Icarus is definitely facing some prison time, but I think that with a little bit of the Cheeter charm, I can get it reduced to a suspended license and 2 or 3 hundred hours of community service."
  • "Their young German star, Hans Kuper, was suspended by the club for insulting the kangaroo mascot of a rival team. Kuper was angry because the kangaroo apparently mocked him."
  • "He has been suspended from his position at the bank following accusations of fraud."
Exercise 1
Moira reports that a six-year-old student was "suspended".

What does she mean when she says this?

Moira reports that a six-year-old student was "suspended".

What does she mean when she says this?
Special schools do exist for aggressive children and children with difficulties, however "to be suspended" does not indicate being sent to "a special school".
In a different context, the verb "to suspend" can mean "to hang" something from a hook or surface. Example: The coats were suspended on hooks above the fireplace to dry. However, in the context of schools, to be suspended is to be temporarily banned or forbidden from returning to school.
In the context of schools, universities and other academic institutions, to "expel" means to "force to leave" or "to eject". Expelling a student from school is a permanent decision. Example: Horatio was expelled from the country club for refusing to wear clothes. To "expel" is not the same as to "suspend", which is a temporary act.
To "suspend" means to temporarily bar or stop someone from doing something, usually as a punishment. To be suspended is to be put on probation. Example: The soccer player was suspended from the next match after tackling the referee. "To forbid" is to command someone NOT to do something. In this context the term "indefinitely" describes a period without precise or defined limits.
Exercise 2
The journalist writes that Robert Leeson "has been suspended".

This means that he has been:

The journalist writes that Robert Leeson "has been suspended".

This means that he has been:
If someone is "made redundant", then their job no longer exists, usually because the company is in financial difficulty and needs to save money. Example: "Many miners were made redundant during the 1980s". This does not share a similar meaning with "to be suspended".
This is the best choice here. To be suspended means to be prevented from doing something for a period of time. Here's another example: "the marketing director has been suspended following accusations of theft". Children are often "suspended from school" if they behave badly. To be "prevented from doing something" is to have to "stop" doing it.
If someone is "fired", they are "given the sack" or told to leave their job permanently. A firing is not temporary, and it does not mean the same thing as "suspension".
Exercise 3
"I can get it reduced to a suspended license."

"To reduce (a penalty)" is to it.

A "suspended licence" refers to a driving licence that is .
"I can get it reduced to a suspended license."

"To reduce (a penalty)" is to decrease 1 it.

A "suspended licence" refers to a driving licence that is cancelled temporarily 2.
1 decrease: This is the correct answer. "To reduce and to decrease are "to lessen" or "to diminish". Example: After negotiating, I got the price of the shirt reduced to 15 dollars. Philip has succeeded in diminishing the severity of Icarus" penalty.
1 freeze: This is incorrect. "To freeze (a price)" is to fix it so that it doesn't go up or down. Philip hasn't frozen the penalty.
1 postpone: This is incorrect. The verb "to postpone" means to "delay" or to "put off" something, such as a meeting, to a later time. Example: We need to postpone the meeting until next week because Bob won't be there.
1 negotiate: This is incorrect. The verb "to reduce" is not synonymous with "to negotiate".
2 cancelled temporarily: This is the correct answer. "A suspended license" is a driving license that has been cancelled "temporarily" or for a short period of time. To "cancel" is "to terminate" or "to annul".
2 no longer valid: This is incorrect. A "suspended license" doesn't refer to driving license that is no longer valid.
2 returned to the owner: This is incorrect. A "suspended license" doesn't refer to driving license that is returned to the owner.
2 under examination: This is incorrect. A "suspended license" doesn't refer to driving license that is under examination.

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