---
name: "sigpending"
section: "2"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sigpending"
---

# sigpending(2)

get pending signals

## NAME

**sigpending** – get pending signals

## LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<signal.h\>**

*int*\

**sigpending**(*sigset\_t \*set*);

## DESCRIPTION

The **sigpending**() system call returns a mask of the signals pending for delivery to the calling thread or the calling process in the location indicated by *set*. Signals may be pending because they are currently masked, or transiently before delivery (although the latter case is not normally detectable).

## RETURN VALUES

The **sigpending()** function returns the value 0 if successful; otherwise the value -1 is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.

## ERRORS

The **sigpending**() system call will fail if:

- \[EFAULT\]

  The *set* argument specified an invalid address.

## SEE ALSO

[sigaction(2)](/sigaction/2.md), [sigprocmask(2)](/sigprocmask/2.md), [sigsuspend(2)](/sigsuspend/2.md), [sigsetops(3)](/sigsetops/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **sigpending**() system call is expected to conform to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1990 (“POSIX.1”).