tolerance

C1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈtɑ.lə.ɹəns/ UK /ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/ See IPA manual

Freq #10898

Meanings

1

noun
The willingness to accept beliefs, opinions, or behaviour that differ from your own.

The school teaches tolerance of other cultures and religions.
2

noun
The ability to endure pain, hardship, or difficult conditions.

Years of training gave her a high tolerance for cold.
3

noun
The small amount by which a measurement is allowed to vary from a standard.

The parts must be made to a tolerance of one millimetre.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the willingness to accept... forbearance toleration

3 noun · the small amount by which a... allowanceleewaymargin

Opposites

intolerance

Word family

Forms tolerances

Derived forms aerotoleranceautotolerancebarotolerancechaotolerancechronotolerancecrosstolerancecryotolerancehalotoleranceheterotolerancehomotolerancehypertoleranceimmunotolerance

Related forms intolerance tolerability tolerable tolerant tolerate toleration

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

zero tolerance
a policy of accepting no instances of a specified unwanted behavior

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English toleraunce, borrowed from Old French tolerance, from Latin tolerantia (“endurance”), from tolerāns, present participle of, and participial adjective from Latin tolerō (“to endure”).

toleraunce Middle English tolerance Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# tolerance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɑ.lə.ɹəns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/
**Frequency rank:** 10898

## Meanings
1. The willingness to accept beliefs, opinions, or behaviour that differ from your own.
2. The ability to endure pain, hardship, or difficult conditions.
3. The small amount by which a measurement is allowed to vary from a standard.

## Examples
- The school teaches tolerance of other cultures and religions.
- Years of training gave her a high tolerance for cold.
- The parts must be made to a tolerance of one millimetre.

## Antonyms
- intolerance

## Derived Forms
- aerotolerance
- autotolerance
- barotolerance
- chaotolerance
- chronotolerance
- crosstolerance
- cryotolerance
- halotolerance
- heterotolerance
- homotolerance
- hypertolerance
- immunotolerance

## Related Forms
- intolerance
- tolerability
- tolerable
- tolerant
- tolerate
- toleration

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: toleraunce
- Root: tolerance

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English toleraunce, borrowed from Old French tolerance, from Latin tolerantia (“endurance”), from tolerāns, present participle of, and participial adjective from Latin tolerō (“to endure”).

## AI Etymology
Tolerance is inherited from Middle English toleraunce, borrowed from Old French tolerance, from Latin tolerantia (“endurance”), from tolerāns, present participle of, and participial adjective from Latin tolerō (“to endure”). The historical chain includes toleraunce (Middle English) and tolerance (Old French). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as aerotolerance, autotolerance, barotolerance, and chaotolerance and related forms such as intolerance, tolerability, and tolerable. In present use it covers the willingness to accept beliefs, opinions, or behaviour that differ from your own, the ability to endure pain, hardship, or difficult conditions, and the small amount by which a measurement is allowed to vary from a standard.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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