toleration
Meaning
the practice of allowing something that one does not necessarily agree with to exist or occur without interference.
the ability to endure or be exposed to something, especially a drug or environmental condition, without adverse effects.
Structure
Usage
religious toleration is a cornerstone of a pluralistic society.
the patient developed a toleration to the medication, requiring a higher dosage.
the government's policy of toleration allowed for a diversity of opinions to be expressed.
Etymology
the word 'toleration' originates from the latin verb tolerare, meaning 'to bear, support, or endure'. this verb itself may be connected to the pie root telh₂-, meaning 'to lift, support, or weigh'. the suffix -ation was added in late latin to form nouns of action. the semantic journey moved from the physical sense of 'bearing a weight or hardship' to the more abstract social and political concept of 'enduring or allowing the existence of beliefs or practices one disagrees with', a meaning solidified during the early modern period's religious conflicts.
Analysis
toler (from latin tolerare, meaning 'to bear, endure'); ation (from latin -ationem, a suffix forming nouns of action or state).