intolerance
in-TOLL-er-unss
/ɪnˈtɒlərəns/
Unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own.
Intolerance is the 'refusal to endure.' It can apply to ideas, people, or even physical substances (like lactose).
The story behind the word. The root 'tolerare' means to bear a burden or to endure. Intolerance is literally the state of being unable or unwilling to 'bear' the presence of something different. It is a psychological 'un-bearing.'
Word relationships
- narrow-mindedness: Narrow-mindedness is the state of mind; intolerance is the active refusal to accept others.
- tolerance: The ability or willingness to accept something.
Commonly confused with
- bigotry: Bigotry is a more intense, stubborn form of intolerance.
Word family
- intolerant (adjective): Not tolerant of views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own.
Collocations
- religious intolerance
- zero tolerance
- growing intolerance
- political intolerance
Idioms & expressions
- zero tolerance
Example sentences
- "Intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An educated person is impatient with nothing but ignorance." Human Rights
- "Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the sugar found in milk." Medical
Memory hook
If you can't 'tolerate' it, you have 'intolerance'. You want it to go away. A person plugging their ears to a different opinion.
When not to use
Don't use it when someone is rightfully rejecting something harmful; intolerance usually implies a lack of acceptance for valid diversity.
Fun facts
- The 'Paradox of Tolerance' suggests that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant will eventually be seized or destroyed by the intolerant.
Related words
Explore more words
tolerant, intransigence, broad-minded, Intransigent, aversion, sectarian
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.