tolerance

Word: tolerance

Context Sentence: My fourth theme is of a rather different order again. Much has been written of 'stability,' or 'tolerance,' or 'consensus' in British society.

Source: Marwick, A.(2003) British Society since 1945 PPx introduction

Definition: adj. willingness or ability to tolerate sb/sth.

e.g: As the addict's tolerance increases, he requires ever larger doses of the drug.

This is an important word - usually 'tolerate' is for things that are unpleasant but possibly necessary. In the context you found this word, what do you think is thought of as 'unpleasant but possibly necessary'?? What is 'tolerance' in society as a whole? (Tilly) Here are some more sentences with 'tolerate' - I've underlined what the object was and as you can see, they are all problems. The government reckoned that Poles were having to cope with about as much __economic pain__ as they would **tolerate**.

A particular, and not infrequent, problem arises when mental infirmity leads old people to behave in __ways which are difficult__ for neighbours to **tolerate**.

Apparently, the explanation is that the institutions where social workers are taught will not **tolerate** __interference in staff appointments__.

In many ways the life of a great political hostess was very attractive to her, which only made her feel more guilty, but she knew that she could not **tolerate** __a life of subordination and absolute dependency__.

The romanticized picture of housewives happy over their labour of love is also challenged by accounts of the higher rates of depression among women with small children who stay at home, by such eagerness to take paid work that they will accept __rates of pay and conditions of employment__ that no man would **tolerate**, and by accounts of the slow hard slog and monotony of housework.