tolerance

/ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: tolerances · tolerancing · toleranced

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The ability or practice of tolerating; an acceptance of or patience with the beliefs, opinions or practices of others; a lack of bigotry.

Noun

Examples

Near-synonym: forbearance

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To design or engineer a material to a specified tolerance.

Verb

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “tolerance” mean?

The ability or practice of tolerating; an acceptance of or patience with the beliefs, opinions or practices of others; a lack of bigotry.

Is “tolerance” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.