tolerance

/ˈtɑlərəns/

/ˈtɒlərəns/

Other forms: tolerances

When you practice tolerance, you accept another's ideas and beliefs. If you respect someone's opinions — even if you disagree or find them nonsensical — you display tolerance.

The noun tolerance, which stems from the Latin for "endurance," also refers to an organism's ability to stand or handle a difficult environmental condition. If you build up a tolerance, you can handle large amounts of something (from medicine to psychological abuse) without being too strongly affected. We usually use the word to refer to our need to accept others, as suggested by John F. Kennedy when he said, “Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”

Definitions of tolerance

1. noun

   willingness to recognize and respect the beliefs or practices of others
   antonyms:

   intolerance

   unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions or beliefs

   types:

   broad-mindedness

   an inclination to tolerate or overlook opposing or shocking opinions or behavior

   liberality, liberalness

   an inclination to favor progress and individual freedom

   disinterest, neutrality

   tolerance attributable to a lack of involvement

   type of:

   attitude, mental attitude

   a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
2. noun

   a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior
   synonyms: permissiveness

   types:

   acceptance, sufferance, toleration

   a disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations

   indulgence, lenience, leniency

   a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone

   overtolerance

   too much permissiveness

   self acceptance

   an acceptance of yourself as you are, warts and all

   softness

   a disposition to be lenient in judging others

   type of:

   disposition, temperament

   your usual mood
3. noun

   the power or capacity of an organism to tolerate unfavorable environmental conditions
   types:

   capacity

   tolerance for alcohol

   type of:

   endurance

   the power to withstand hardship or stress
4. noun

   the act of tolerating something
   types:

   lenience, leniency

   lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers

   clemency, mercifulness, mercy

   leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

   type of:

   allowance

   the act of allowing
5. noun

   a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits
   synonyms: allowance, leeway, margin

   type of:

   disagreement, discrepancy, divergence, variance

   a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions