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

Roughly 20 million of those with federal student loan debt have had payments deferred or are in forbearance. —Matt Egan, CNN Money, 5 May 2025

To apply for forbearance, borrowers must contact their loan servicer. —Adriana Morga, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025

What To Know Defaulted student loans have not been collected since March 2020 when the federal government activated a process known as administrative forbearance, which was put in place due to the economic turbulence caused by the coronavirus pandemic. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

There’s no specific end date to that forbearance as of now, said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see forbear entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for forbearance

• clarence

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