What does "tolerance" mean?
The ability to endure pain or hardship; endurance.
Tolerance
/ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The ability to endure pain or hardship; endurance.
- Grammar: tolerance is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: allowance, a habit, acceptance, acceptance.
- Useful contrasts: horrified, intense aversion, allergies.
- Usage evidence: Children exhibit a low tolerance for the frustrations of learning.
How to use "tolerance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tolerance" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tolerance" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tolerance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tolerance" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tolerance" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "allowance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tolerance", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The ability to endure pain or hardship; endurance. obsolete, uncountable
- 2 the act of tolerating something wordnet
- 3 The ability or practice of tolerating; an acceptance of or patience with the beliefs, opinions or practices of others; a lack of bigotry. uncountable
"Both [Ze'ev] Jabotinsky and [David] Ben-Gurion also wrote songs of praise to the Ottoman Empire, its tolerance toward ethnic minorities in general — and to Jews in particular — as well as to the democratic changes it was undergoing."
- 4 a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior wordnet
- 5 The ability of the body (or other organism) to resist the action of a poison, to cope with a dangerous drug or to survive infection by an organism. uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits wordnet
- 7 The variation or deviation from a standard, especially the maximum permitted variation in an engineering measurement. countable
"Our customers can generally accept ten times the tolerance which we can achieve in our machining operations."
- 8 the power or capacity of an organism to tolerate unfavorable environmental conditions wordnet
- 9 The ability of the body to accept a tissue graft without rejection. uncountable
- 10 willingness to recognize and respect the beliefs or practices of others wordnet
Verb
- 1 To design or engineer a material to a specified tolerance.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Children exhibit a low tolerance for the frustrations of learning."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tolerance"?
Common synonyms include: allowance, a habit, acceptance, acceptance, accepting, acquired tolerance.
How do you use "tolerance" in a sentence?
Children exhibit a low tolerance for the frustrations of learning.
How do you pronounce "tolerance"?
Pronounced /ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/.
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”).