tolerant
adjective
tol·er·ant
ˈtä-lə-rənt
ˈtäl-rənt
1
a
: willing to accept the beliefs, feelings, habits, or behaviors of another group, culture, etc. as legitimate even when they differ from one's own
Despite his strong opinions, he was tolerant enough to be friends with very different kinds of people …—Ben Sixsmith
American society progressed, leaving the bluenose mentality behind. Actually, today's tolerant values, accepting yesterday's outcasts, are more decent, fair, and humane.—James A. Haught
Certainly the tribal nature of political and social behavior … is a key to understanding the durability of despotic regimes and the absence of tolerant pluralism.—David K. Shipler
—often used with ofThe eight-term California Republican built a reputation in House leadership … as a friendly backslapper increasingly tolerant of his party's most hardline members.—Michael Warren and Melanie Zanona
b
: permitting or accepting something (such as a behavior or belief) that one does not like
tolerant parents
—often used with ofWhen it comes to judging friends and lovers, though, people tend not to be so tolerant of contradiction. A lover who betrays us reveals his entire character in a new and damning light. "I thought I knew you!" we cry, in a howl of anger and bewilderment.—Edward Dolnick
The southerner is usually tolerant of those weaknesses that proceed from innocence …—Flannery O'Connor
I am impressed, when I teach in the United States, by the readiness of students and colleagues to perform boring tasks like reading ill-written but essential texts. … British academic life, by contrast, is markedly less tolerant of tedium; French too.—George Watson
Holmes was not prone to friendship, but he was tolerant of the big Scotchman, and smiled at the sight of him.—Arthur Conan Doyle
… an intellectual context that was tolerant of barbarism and inhumanity, or even justified it.—Richard Wolin
2
: exhibiting tolerance (see tolerance sense 4a) for something (such as a drug or an environmental factor)
The goal of allergy shots is to render a person tolerant to an allergen when it is encountered.—Jane E. Brody
These organisms aren't just cold tolerant, they're freeze resistant.—Robert C. Cowen
When bacteria become tolerant to these compounds, they sometimes also become less sensitive to certain antibiotic medicines.—Coco Ballantyne
tolerantly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share