intolerance

[in-tol-er-uhns]

noun

1. lack of tolerance; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect opinions or beliefs contrary to one's own.

2. unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect persons of a different social group, especially members of a minority group.

3. incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure.

   intolerance to heat.

4. abnormal sensitivity or allergy to a food, drug, etc.

5. an intolerant act.

Word History and Origins

Origin of intolerance¹

From the Latin word intolerantia, dating back to 1755–65. See intolerant, -ance

Example Sentences

Plant-based milks, despite existing for millennia, rose to global popularity amid the 21st century due to growing concerns of lactose intolerance and the environmental impacts of dairy.

From Salon

The Food Standards Agency said earlier it recognised there were a significant number of foods that could cause allergies or intolerances.

From BBC

“Symbols of hate like the swastika are not simply relics of history, they remain dangerous reminders of violence and intolerance,” Senior Deputy Dist.

From Los Angeles Times

She suffers from gluten intolerance and said she could no longer find food she could eat.

From BBC

“I have a very strong intolerance to injustice,” he says, a past victim of bullying and, like many children of immigrants, his mother’s de facto translator and legal avatar.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bigotry 
• prejudice