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tolerance definition

tol·er·ance (täl′ər əns)

noun

    1. a tolerating or being tolerant, esp. of views, beliefs, practices, etc. of others that differ from one's own
    2. freedom from bigotry or prejudice
  2. an allowable deviation from a standard or from the theoretical ideal, esp. in the manufacture or assembly of components; specif.,
    1. the amount that coins are legally allowed to vary from a standard of weight, fineness, etc.
    2. the difference between the allowable maximum and minimum sizes of a part or fitting
  3. the ability to endure
  4. Med. the natural or developed ability to resist the effects of the continued or increasing use of a drug, etc.

Etymology: ME tolleraunce < MFr tolerance < L tolerantia

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical tolerance definition - medical

tolerance Synonyms

tolerance

n.

  1. Open-mindedness

    lenity, concession, liberality, permission, forbearance, indulgence, mercy, compassion, license, sufferance, grace, freedom of worship, understanding, sensitivity, charity, benevolence, humanity, endurance, altruism, patience, good will; see also kindness 1, liberalism.

  2. Saturation point

    threshold, tolerance level, end; see limit 2.

  3. Resistance

    immunity, susceptibility, toleration.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

tolerance Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • ambiguity: Tolerance of ambiguity became desirable where it previously had been seen as undesirable.

Converse of object

  • confer: Some crops can be genetically modified to confer tolerance to such a herbicide.

Adjective modifier

  • impaired: Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.

Modifies a noun

  • threshold: Hate mongers often begin by identifying the public's tolerance threshold.

Noun used with modifier

  • glucose: Reactive hypoglycaemia was ruled out in an oral glucose tolerance test.
tolerance usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

tolerance quotes

Any performance is discussable from the standpoint of what it attains or what it misses.Comprehensiveness can be discussed as superficiality, intensiveness as stricture, tolerance as uncertaintyöand the poor pedestrian abilities of a fish are clearly explainable in terms of his excellence as a swimmer. A way of seeing is also a way of not seeing.

-Burke, Kenneth

Ourexcessive tolerance of suicide is due to the fact that, since the state of mind from which it springs is a general one, we cannot condemn it without condemning ourselves; we are too saturated with it not partly to excuse it.

-Durkheim, EŁ  mile

We the Peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, whichtwice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to 873 mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignityand worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, and for these ends, to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one anotherasgood neighbours, and tounite our strengthto maintain international peace and security, and to ensure by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.

-United Nations Charter

tolerance quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"tolerance." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/tolerance>

APA Style

tolerance. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/tolerance

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