What does intolerance mean?
Intolerance is the unwillingness or inability to accept beliefs, behaviours, identities, or conditions that differ from one's own. Its most common use is social and political: religious, racial, ethnic, or cultural intolerance all describe hostility or exclusion directed at people perceived as different. In this sense, the word carries a strongly negative moral connotation and implies more than simple disagreement; it suggests a refusal to recognize the equal rights or humanity of others. Intolerance can also have a medical meaning, as in “lactose intolerance,” where a person has difficulty digesting or otherwise tolerating a substance. The word is related to tolerate, tolerable, and intolerable, forming a useful semantic family concerned with what can be accepted, endured, or refused. Although “intolerances” is grammatically possible, the noun is ordinarily used in the singular or uncountably.
Unwillingness to accept or tolerate different beliefs, behaviours, or identities; a lack of tolerance.
"Education can help reduce prejudice and intolerance."
The social and political senses are critical and typically take “of” or “toward/towards” to identify what is not tolerated.
An adverse physical response to a substance, food, environment, or condition.
"Her doctor suspected that she had an intolerance to certain preservatives."
This sense is common in medical and scientific contexts and often forms part of a compound such as “food intolerance” or “lactose intolerance.”
The plural is grammatically correct but less common than the uncountable use. It can refer to distinct kinds or instances of intolerance.
"The history project examines several forms of intolerance and the struggles against them."
Intolerance is more than disagreement: it is the refusal to let another person's beliefs or identity exist alongside your own.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intolerance come from?
The noun intolerance entered English in the early nineteenth century, borrowed from French intolérance. Its formation belongs to the Latin word family of tolerare, meaning “to bear, endure, or tolerate,” with the prefix in- expressing negation. Related English words include tolerate, tolerable, tolerance, and intolerable.
Related word forms
How intolerance is actually used
In its social sense, intolerance has a strongly critical connotation and is usually uncountable, though “intolerances” is possible. In medical and scientific contexts, terms such as “food intolerance” and “lactose intolerance” describe an adverse response rather than an attitude toward people.
Easily confused with intolerance
Intolerance is an unwillingness to accept or tolerate something, whereas intolerable means so extreme or difficult that it cannot be accepted or endured.