patience

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈpæɪ̯.ʃəns/ UK /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/ See IPA manual

Freq #3203

Meanings

1

noun
The ability to stay calm and wait without getting angry or upset.

Teaching young children requires a lot of patience.
2

noun
A card game played by one person alone.

She passed the rainy afternoon playing patience.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the ability to stay calm... forbearance restraint

2 noun · a card game played by one... solitaire

Word family

Derived forms unpatience

Related forms passion passionate passive passivity patient

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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stoic patience
calm acceptance of discomfort or delay without complaining

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (3)

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Simplified etymology

Patience entered English in the Middle English period and derives ultimately from Latin pati, “to suffer.” Patient comes from the same root. The name of the card game dates from the early 19th century; its earlier name, still used in the United States, is solitaire.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pacience, from Old French pacience (modern French patience), from Latin patientia (“suffering; endurance, patience”), from patiens, present active participle of patior (“suffer, experience, wait”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hurt”). Displaced Old English ġeþyld.

*peh₁- Proto-Indo-European pacience Middle English patientia Latin

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Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# patience

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpæɪ̯.ʃəns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/
**Frequency rank:** 3203

## Meanings
1. The ability to stay calm and wait without getting angry or upset.
2. A card game played by one person alone.

## Examples
- Teaching young children requires a lot of patience.
- She passed the rainy afternoon playing patience.

## Derived Forms
- unpatience

## Related Forms
- passion
- passionate
- passive
- passivity
- patient

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *peh₁-
- Root: pacience
- Root: patientia
- Affix: -ence - state

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English pacience, from Old French pacience (modern French patience), from Latin patientia (“suffering; endurance, patience”), from patiens, present active participle of patior (“suffer, experience, wait”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hurt”). Displaced Old English ġeþyld.

## AI Etymology
Patience is inherited from Middle English pacience, from Old French pacience (modern French patience), from Latin patientia (“suffering; endurance, patience”), from patiens, present active participle of patior (“suffer, experience, wait”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hurt”). Displaced Old English ġeþyld. Modern senses include the ability to stay calm and wait without getting angry or upset and a card game played by one person alone. The wider word family includes derivatives such as unpatience and related forms such as passion, passionate, passive, and passivity.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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