on sufferance
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Barely tolerated; agreed to but unwillingly. For example, They rarely put a non-academic on the panel, so obviously I was there on sufferance. This expression uses sufferance in the sense of “toleration,” a usage obsolete except in this idiom. [Mid-1500s]
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Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Words nearby on sufferance
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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