sufferance

noun

ˈsə-f(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce sufferance (audio)
Definition of sufferancenext
1
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something was pointedly reminded that he was at the private beach on sufferance and could be kicked out at any time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in patience
the capacity to endure what is difficult or disagreeable without complaining spending a whole day with my airheaded sister-in-law is beyond sufferance

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sufferance Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. — Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 26 Sep. 2025 Through his cult of personality, Modi is fulfilling a century-old project, recasting India as a Hindu nation, in which minorities, particularly Muslims, live at the sufferance of the majority. — Samanth Subramanian Vikas Adam Tanya Pérez Zachary Mouton, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024 Air India’s nationalization signaled that in independent India private enterprise would survive on the government’s sufferance. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 14 Oct. 2021 In the music of Beethoven, there is such an ethical, moral integrity … and power and sufferance. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufferance
  1. permission
  2. patience
  3. authorization
  4. tolerance
  5. consent
  6. granting
Noun
  • Kalshi and Polymarket have previously used NFL logos and other marks without permission from the league or the NFLPA.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Such behavior is known as doxxing, or sharing someone’s personal information or identity online without their permission.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of permission
Noun
  • In the lengthy message (read it below), Ellison and Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz thanked staffers for their patience during the year-long process, and outlined top priorities for the new company.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The 1992 Chargers recovered from an 0-4 start, offering a reminder that patience and defense can revive a season, though each loss narrows the path.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of patience
Noun
  • Human authorization, autonomous execution Harmattan AI describes IRIFI as autonomous rather than fully independent.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Florida has separately crafted a Canadian prescription drug importation program with authorization from the federal government, but that initiative has stalled.
    — Fatima Hussein, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of authorization
Noun
  • Businesses need greater visibility into where their margins are exposed, along with the flexibility to set their own risk tolerance and tailor their response to different behaviors.
    — Sarita Singh, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Avoiding Hard Conversations Ineffective managers avoid hard conversations and let issues fester to keep the peace, but silence reads as tolerance.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of tolerance
Noun
  • The commission voted 7-1 to direct County Attorney Tyrone Wade to look into whether any laws or policies were broken during the consent agenda vote and whether any policies should be adjusted to prevent similar situations in the future.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But during the 1960s and in subsequent decades, a growing patient rights movement embraced the importance of informed consent for honoring patients’ autonomy.
    — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of consent
Noun
  • To that, the AG’s office were silent Thursday on the granting of Block the Merger’s eleventh-hour motion.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Other presidential powers include the negotiation of treaties and the granting of pardons.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of granting

Browse Nearby Words

sufferable
sufferance
sufferances
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Cite this Entry

“Sufferance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufferance. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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