intolerance
Americannoun
-
lack of tolerance; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect opinions or beliefs contrary to one's own.
-
unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect persons of a different social group, especially members of a minority group.
-
incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure.
intolerance to heat.
-
abnormal sensitivity or allergy to a food, drug, etc.
-
an intolerant act.
Etymology
Origin of intolerance
From the Latin word intolerantia, dating back to 1755–65. See intolerant, -ance
Explanation
Intolerance — or an unwillingness to accept the beliefs or behavior of someone different from you — is not a quality you want to have. Intolerance is what leads to hate crimes and discrimination. The word intolerance comes from a combination of the Latin in- meaning “not” and tolerantem meaning "to bear, endure.” Intolerance is not being able to bear or endure beliefs that are different from your own. You may commonly hear of it used with respect to religious intolerance, which is an unwillingness to accept different religious beliefs.
Vocabulary lists containing intolerance
Vocabulary from news articles about rescued teenage sailor
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Good Kind of Trouble
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He told South Africans there was "no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other forms of intolerance" in the country.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
For years before she landed at CBS News in October, Weiss built a career criticizing ideological conformity and supposed institutional intolerance.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
A Brazilian study published in Nutrients found that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduced glucose intolerance and weakened insulin resistance in rats that were not obese but showed a diabetes-like metabolic condition.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Justice, defence and crime ministers held an "urgent meeting" to finalise a "plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", the government said.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
His normal intolerance of affectation did not extend to the elegant symmetry of Mess Night.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
