permissiveness

[per-mis-iv-nis]

noun

1. the quality or condition of being accepting or tolerant of something, such as social behavior or linguistic usage, that others might disapprove of or forbid.

   Polls show an uptick in both social permissiveness and skepticism of government intervention.

   Essays must adhere to the rules, principles, and formatting required for formal writing and should be free of the grammatical permissiveness that can be used in informal writing.

Other Word Forms

• nonpermissiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of permissiveness¹

permissive ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

For many on the right, the image of Bragg as a poster child for Democrat permissiveness stuck.

Read more on Seattle Times

Officials and pundits persistently attempt to redirect our attention on the housing crisis to drug use, mental health or progressive permissiveness.

Read more on Salon

Without an investment in the therapeutic parts of the criminal legal system, we seem to be inclined toward one of two extremes — permissiveness or punitiveness.

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According to reports, the man said he thought "men could easily engage in sexual behaviour" at the event, which was known for its sexual permissiveness, and others who witnessed the incident did not stop him.

Read more on BBC

Or is the era of permissiveness at an end for routine balloon-borne research?

Read more on Scientific American

Related Words

• extravagance 
• kindness 
• leniency 
• privilege