forbearance

[fawr-bair-uhns]

noun

1. the act of forbearing; a refraining from something.

   Synonyms: abstinence

2. forbearing conduct or quality; patient endurance; self-control.

   Their teacher exhibited great forbearance when the children started acting up in class.

   Synonyms: indulgence, sufferance, toleration, tolerance

3. an abstaining from the enforcement of a right.

4. Finance.,  a form of repayment relief granted by a lender that temporarily postpones payments due from a borrower, while interest on the loan typically continues to accrue.

   When he had difficulty making his monthly mortgage payments, the bank granted a forbearance, so he avoided foreclosure on his home.

forbearance

/ fɔːˈbɛərəns /

noun

1. the act of forbearing

2. self-control; patience

3. law abstention from or postponement of the enforcement of a legal right, esp by a creditor allowing his debtor time to pay

Other Word Forms

• nonforbearance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of forbearance¹

First recorded in 1570–80; forbear + -ance

Example Sentences

He spent 15 years in and out of forbearance, deferment and repayment on his federal loans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s the reason so many student-loan borrowers find themselves trapped in cycles of deferment, forbearance or minimum payments that allow balances to balloon rather than shrink.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It also gives borrowers the flexibility to repay the relief by banning lump sum repayment after the forbearance period ends, as long as a borrower was current on payments when it started.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If you are placed on a forbearance plan, you will eventually have to pay what is owed once the plan expires.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If necessary, you can also look into deferment and forbearance options.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• fortitude 
• self-control 

When To Use

What does forbearance mean in mortgages?

Forbearance is a form of repayment relief granted by a lender that temporarily postpones payments due from a borrower, while interest on the loan typically continues to accrue. The terms of forbearance are negotiated between the borrower and the lender.For example, if an individual has difficulty making monthly mortgage payments, a forbearance agreement from the bank can avoid foreclosure on the person’s home.