tolerant

adjective

tol·​er·​ant ˈtä-lə-rənt How to pronounce tolerant (audio)
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 of
The 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 of
When 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

Examples of tolerant in a Sentence

this job requires a tolerant person who is used to dealing with complaints and angry customers a tolerant acceptance of the terrible way that his wife has always treated him
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My husband — a brooding New Yorker, polite and tolerant of much — broke on the seventh day of our family vacation. Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024 The poet should be tolerant, disinterested, clear-eyed about long-standing animosities but not constrained by them. Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 The latest headline print was 1.7% versus 10.1% during Truss’s premiership, which economists said would make markets more tolerant of fiscal expansion. Jenni Reid, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024 Some plants are more drought tolerant than others and not all areas of the yard will have the same water needs. Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tolerant 

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tolerant was in 1746

Dictionary Entries Near tolerant

Cite this Entry

“Tolerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolerant. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tolerant

adjective
tol·​er·​ant ˈtäl(-ə)-rənt How to pronounce tolerant (audio)
: showing tolerance
tolerantly adverb

Medical Definition

tolerant

adjective
tol·​er·​ant -rənt How to pronounce tolerant (audio)
: exhibiting tolerance (as for a drug or physiological insult)
lactose tolerant

More from Merriam-Webster on tolerant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!