noun
tolerance
TOL-uh-ruhns
noun
1
Acceptance of beliefs, practices, or people different from one's own, without prejudice.
"The school promotes tolerance of different cultures and religions."
2
The capacity of the body to endure or resist something, such as a drug, pain, or infection.
"Regular drinkers can build up a tolerance to alcohol over time."
3
The permitted amount of variation from a standard measurement in engineering or manufacturing.
"The part was machined to a tolerance of half a millimeter."
How to Use Tolerance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe ability to put up with something — whether that's other people's beliefs, a drug's effects, or an engineering measurement's built-in wiggle room.
Common pairings
religious tolerance
build up a tolerance
zero tolerance
Word Forms
toleranced past tense, tolerances plural, tolerances singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “tolerance”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The school promotes _____ of different cultures and religions.
Etymology
From Old French "tolerance," from Latin "tolerantia" ("endurance"), from "tolerō" ("to endure").