forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance fȯr-ˈber-ən(t)s 

fər-

plural forbearances

1

: a refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due

The policy provides a means of forbearance for borrowers meeting certain criteria.

2

: the act of forbearing : patience

Mrs Varden entreated her to remember that … marriage … was a state requiring great fortitude and forbearance.

—Charles Dickens

3

: the quality of being forbearing : leniency

known … for her forbearance with her incorrigible husband

—Willa Cather

Synonyms

• long-suffering
• patience
• sufferance
• tolerance

Examples of forbearance in a Sentence

He showed great forbearance in his dealings with them.

we thank you for your forbearance while we attend to the technical difficulties interrupting the TV program

Recent Examples on the Web

When Trump returns to the White House in January, borrowers enrolled in SAVE should be prepared for that forbearance to come to an end, said Malissa Giles, a consumer bankruptcy lawyer in Virginia. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2024

Mistaking forbearance for weakness, NATO spokespersons have scoffed, contending that since previous provocations elicited no nuclear reaction, the West can cross any and all Russian red lines with impunity. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024

You could be placed into a 60-day or more administrative forbearance after your servicer gets your application, during which payments won’t be due. —Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2024

Her only other debt is an outstanding student loan balance of about $10,000, currently in forbearance, so payments are paused. —Mike Winters,lauren Shamo, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see forbear entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance fȯr-ˈbar-ən(t)s 

fər-,

-ˈber-

1

: the act of forbearing

2

: the quality of being forbearing : patience

Legal Definition

forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance

variants also forebearance

fȯr-ˈbar-əns

: a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due