Forbear Definition

fôr-bâr
forbear, forbearing, forbears, forbore, forborne
verb
forbearing, forbears, forbore, forborne
To refrain from; avoid or cease (doing, saying, etc.)
Webster's New World
To keep oneself from doing something; hold back; refrain.
Forbear from making a comment.
American Heritage
To be tolerant or patient in the face of provocation.
American Heritage
To endure; tolerate.
Webster's New World
To refrain or abstain.
Webster's New World
noun
forbears
Webster's New World

Alternative spelling of forebear.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Forbear

Noun

Singular:
forbear
Plural:
forbears

Origin of Forbear

  • From Middle English forberen, from Old English forberan (“to forbear, abstain from, refrain; suffer, endure, tolerate, humor; restrain; do without”), from Proto-Germanic *fraberaną (“to hold back, endure”), equivalent to for- +‎ bear. Cognate with Old Frisian forbera (“to forfeit”), Middle High German verbërn (“to have not; abstain; refrain from; avoid”), Gothic [script?] (frabairan, “to endure”). [script?]

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English forberen from Old English forberan to endure bher-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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