intolerance

American  

[in-tol-er-uhns] / ɪnˈtɒl ər əns /

noun

intolerances plural

1. lack of tolerance; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect opinions or beliefs contrary to one's own.

2. unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect persons of a different social group, especially members of a minority group.

3. incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure.

   intolerance to heat.

4. abnormal sensitivity or allergy to a food, drug, etc.

5. an intolerant act.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• intolerances
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intolerance intolerances

"There is no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other forms of intolerance in South Africa," he said, explaining his coalition government's five-point strategy to deal with the crisis.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

They all had guesses: maybe arthritis, maybe lactose intolerance, maybe stress.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 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

Now, Mary’s presence at the laboratory built on plantation land rebuked the shortsighted intolerance of her fellow Virginian.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Disruptions in this newly identified signaling pathway may play a role in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, and chronic visceral pain.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

This discovery may also help explain a range of digestive issues, including food intolerances and irritable bowel syndrome.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

The various infections, electrolyte imbalances and medication intolerances weakened her to the point of collapse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

For those with gluten intolerances, packaged gluten-free snacks and pastas made from alternative grains, like rice or lentils, are widely available.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2024

But intolerances go out of style as suddenly as new creeds come in.

From The Cup of Fury A Novel of Cities and Shipyards by Raleigh, Henry

Related Words

• bigotry
• prejudice