tolerance
Definitions
Willingness to accept beliefs, opinions, or behaviors that differ from your own
宽容，包容（接受与自己不同的信仰、观点或行为）
The body's ability to endure a drug, poison, or condition without harmful effect; reduced response after repeated exposure
（医学/生物）耐受性，耐受度（重复接触后反应减弱）
The allowable amount of variation in the dimension or quantity of a manufactured part
（工程）公差，容许偏差
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedtoler (bear) + -ance (noun of state) = 'the state of bearing.' All three senses are the same question — how much can be borne? — applied to different worlds: how much difference a society will bear (social tolerance), how much a substance a body can bear (drug tolerance), how much deviation a part can bear and still pass (engineering tolerance).
Root tol still carries 5 more wordsUsage Guide
Three registers, decided entirely by context:
- Social/moral: tolerance for/of other people, religious tolerance, zero tolerance — acceptance of difference.
- Medical/biological: build up a tolerance, drug tolerance, glucose tolerance — the body's capacity to endure a substance.
- Engineering/technical: a tolerance of 0.1 mm, within tolerance — the precise allowed deviation of a part.
Note the preposition: tolerance for or of something. 'Zero tolerance' is a fixed phrase (zero tolerance policy / for).
Example Sentences
- 1.
The school teaches respect and tolerance for people of all backgrounds.
- 2.
After years of heavy coffee drinking, he built up a high tolerance for caffeine.
- 3.
Each part is machined to a tolerance of just 0.05 millimeters.
- 4.
The company enforces a zero tolerance policy on cheating.