Sufferance definition

sŭfər-əns, sŭfrəns
Patient endurance, especially of pain or distress.
noun
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Suffering; misery.
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Sanction or permission implied or given by failure to prohibit; tacit consent; tolerance.
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The power or capacity to endure or tolerate pain, distress, etc.
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Consent, permission, or sanction implied by failure to interfere or prohibit; toleration.
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(archaic) Suffering.
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See tenancy.
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(archaic) Endurance, especially patiently, of pain or adversity.
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(archaic) Suffering; pain, misery.
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(UK, historical) A permission granted by the customs authorities for the shipment of goods.
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on sufferance
  • allowed or tolerated but not supported or encouraged
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
sufferance
Plural:
sufferances

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Origin of sufferance

  • Middle English suffrance from Old French sufrance from Latin sufferentia from sufferēns sufferent- present participle of sufferre to suffer suffer

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

  • From Anglo-Norman suffraunce, from Late Latin sufferentia.

    From Wiktionary

Sufferance Sentence Examples

  • There is no tenancy by sufferance against the crown.

  • Permanent greatness and secular security were within her reach at the commencement of the Vasa period; how was it, then, that at the end of that period, only fifty years later, Poland had already sunk irredeemably into much the same position as Turkey occupies now, the position of a moribund state, existing on sufferance simply because none was yet quite prepared to administer the coup de grace?

  • In the event of such discovery by them or of information given to them of the existence of any such nuisance, the district council are required to serve a notice requiring the abatement of the nuisance on the person by whose act, default or sufferance it arises or continues, or if such person cannot be found, on the owner or occupier of the premises at which the nuisance arises.

  • Ministries which exist by sufferance are necessarily compelled to adapt their measures to the wishes of those who permit them to continue in power.

  • If the person who causes the nuisance cannot be found, and it is clear that the nuisance does not arise or continue by the act, default or sufferance of the owner or occupier of the premises, the local authority may themselves abate the nuisance without further order.

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Words near sufferance in the Dictionary