intolerance
The school promotes a policy of zero tolerance for intolerance.
The school enforces strict rules against accepting or allowing intolerance.
Refusal to accept or respect views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own.
The government's intolerance of dissent led to widespread protests.
The government's refusal to accept differing opinions caused public outrage.
Intolerance in the workplace creates a toxic environment for employees.
A lack of acceptance for diverse perspectives harms team morale.
Often used in social, political, or workplace contexts to describe prejudice or closed-mindedness.
Inability to digest certain substances without adverse effects, especially food or medication.
Lactose intolerance is common in many adults.
Many adults have difficulty digesting dairy products.
The patient's intolerance to penicillin required alternative treatment.
The patient could not safely take penicillin due to allergic reactions.
Medical intolerance is physiological, not ideological.
Excessive sensitivity to environmental factors like light, sound, or temperature.
The display's intolerance to direct sunlight made it unsuitable for outdoor use.
The screen could not function properly under bright sunlight.
Used in technical contexts to describe hardware limitations.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Avoiding ambiguity
Use 'intolerance' carefully—it can refer to social attitudes (prejudice) or medical conditions (allergies). Context clarifies the meaning.
Gold Rule
Social vs. Medical Use
For social contexts (e.g., racism, sexism), 'intolerance' describes attitudes. For health contexts, it refers to physiological reactions.
Word Origin
From Latin *intolerantia*, meaning 'inability to endure,' combining *in-* (not) + *tolerare* (to endure). First recorded in English in the 15th century.
Usage Notes
Intolerance is typically used negatively to describe harmful attitudes or physiological reactions. In social contexts, it often implies active discrimination or rejection of others' rights.