long-sufferance
Americannoun
Usage
What does long-sufferance mean? Long-sufferance is an outdated term for long-suffering—the patient endurance of negative situations without complaint. It can refer to a quality, an ability, or an instance of such endurance. The term is considered an archaic version of long-suffering, meaning it was commonly used in an earlier time but is rare in current usage. Long-suffering is often used in situations in which someone has endured pain, injury, illness, hardship, tragedy, or difficulty in accomplishing something. In religious contexts, it’s discussed as a virtue, especially one involving being patient and slow to get angry. A close synonym is forbearance. The term long-suffering is also commonly used as an adjective to describe someone who patiently endures negative situations for long periods of time without complaining. Example: The text describes several virtues that are considered the most important, including steadfastness and long-sufferance.
Etymology
Origin of long-sufferance
First recorded in 1520–30
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.
But you may rely upon it, the patience and long-sufferance of this army are almost exhausted, and there never was so great a spirit of discontent as at this instant.
From Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2 Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched by Schroeder, John Frederick
The Great God, in His long-sufferance, told him to ponder further upon the parable of the giant tree.
From Folk-Tales of the Khasis by Rafy, K. U.
And when she shook hands with me a short while afterwards through the carriage window, she thanked me for our long-sufferance with more spontaneous cordiality than she had ever before exhibited.
From Jaffery by Locke, William John
Still he could not prevail upon himself to accept her generosity, though conscious he was undeserving of her long-sufferance.
From Cleo The Magnificent Or, the Muse of the Real by Zangwill, Louis
The result of her labors and long-sufferance had hitherto been but misfortune and failure.
From Mary Wollstonecraft by Pennell, Elizabeth Robins
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.
