What does tolerantly mean?
Tolerantly is an adverb meaning “in a tolerant manner,” with particular emphasis on accepting or enduring people whose opinions, practices, or conditions differ from one’s own. It suggests that someone refrains from condemning, rejecting, or strongly objecting, though it does not necessarily mean that they agree with or approve of what they are accepting. The word is useful when describing an attitude of openness and restraint: a mediator may listen tolerantly, a teacher may respond tolerantly to a student’s error, or a community may receive newcomers tolerantly. It can imply patience and reasonableness, but in contexts involving serious harm or persistent misconduct, it may also suggest excessive leniency. The adverb is formed from “tolerant,” which comes from Latin tolerare, “to bear or endure,” and belongs to a family including “tolerate,” “tolerance,” and “tolerable.”
adverbIn a tolerant manner, showing acceptance of differing opinions, practices, or conditions without condemning or objecting to them.
- In a manner that accepts differing opinions, practices, or conditions without condemning or strongly objecting to them.
"She listened tolerantly to the proposal even though she had serious reservations about it."
"The committee responded tolerantly to concerns raised by several residents."
"He accepted the criticism tolerantly and considered whether it revealed anything useful."
Tolerant comes from Latin tolerare, meaning “to bear or endure”; tolerantly turns that endurance into a deliberate practice of acceptance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tolerantly come from?
Tolerantly is formed from the adjective “tolerant” by adding the adverbial suffix “-ly.” “Tolerant” derives from Latin tolerare, meaning “to bear, endure, or tolerate,” and entered English through the related forms “tolerate” and “toleration.” The Latin root also connects the word to relatives such as “tolerable,” “tolerance,” and “tolerate.”
How tolerantly is actually used
Tolerantly is neutral to formal in register. It generally conveys patient acceptance or a lack of condemnation, but it does not necessarily imply agreement, approval, or enthusiasm.
Easily confused with tolerantly
Tolerantly describes how someone treats disagreement or difference, whereas tolerable describes something that can be accepted or endured.