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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Last summer, the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance released its sixth report on France, highlighting "little progress" on curtailing the use of ethnic profiling by law enforcement officers.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2023
Intolerance of gay relationships or transgender identity in Japan is relatively modern.
From New York Times • May 17, 2023
Esteban Ibarra, the president of the Movement Against Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia who denounced the chants to the police, said he was concerned by the decision.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022
A spokesperson for the Madrid regional prosecutor's office said the anti-discrimination NGO, Movement Against Intolerance, had lodged a complaint against the students for an alleged hate crime, based on the video.
From Reuters • Oct. 7, 2022
Wherever there is Intolerance there is a waste of life, a perversion of energy.
From Changing Winds A Novel by Ervine, St. John G. (St. John Greer)
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.
