What does tolerance mean?
Word: Tolerance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Tolerance means willingness to allow beliefs, customs or opinions that differ from your own; also the ability to put up with something unpleasant.
Synonyms: broad-mindedness
How do you spell tolerance?
Syllables: tol - er - ance
Tricky part: The ending is ance, not ence or ense, though in speech it sounds like 'unss'.
Watch out for: tolerense, tolarance
Memory tip: Balance and tolerance both end in ance: with tolerance, you keep your balance when others disagree with you.
Tolerance in a sentence
Example 1: Living in a joint family teaches tolerance.
Example 2: Camels have a high tolerance for heat.
Example 3: Tolerance grows when people listen to each other.
Fun Fact
UNESCO's member countries adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance on 16 November 1995, and that date is now marked each year as the International Day for Tolerance.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
One letter in this word is not needed. Find it:
tollerance
a) t
b) c
c) l
d) r
Show answer
c) l. There is a single l after the to.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word tolerance as used in the sentence:
Our school assembly this week was about tolerance of other people's beliefs.
a) prejudice
b) respect
c) openness
d) patience
Show answer
a) prejudice. Prejudice means judging others unfairly before you know them, the opposite of tolerance; patience, respect and openness go with it.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. compasion 2. fairnes 3. tolerance 4. harmoney
a) readiness to live peacefully alongside different views
b) the quality of treating people equally
c) a feeling of care for people who are suffering
d) a peaceful state of agreement
Show answer
a) readiness to live peacefully alongside different views. Harmony ends in ony, compassion has a double s, and fairness ends in ness.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
Our cricket coach has zero anetlorec for players who turn up late to practice.
a) relevance
b) temperance
c) elegance
d) tolerance
Show answer
d) tolerance. Temperance needs an m and a p, elegance a g, and relevance a v; the nine letters spell tolerance.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In engineering, tolerance can also mean ____.
a) the top speed at which a machine can run
b) the total cost of making a machine part
c) the heaviest load a bridge can safely carry
d) how far a size may differ from the exact one
Show answer
d) how far a size may differ from the exact one
2. A person with a high tolerance for spicy food ____.
a) feels ill after one bite of pickle
b) avoids every dish with chilli in it
c) can eat very hot dishes without trouble
d) needs water after every mouthful
Show answer
c) can eat very hot dishes without trouble
