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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sufferance
Every page is alive with animus, ardor, humor, sufferance, with venom for death and its posturing acolytes:
Anyone who has not killed is not a man: This sentence, which Hemingway fashioned, means nothing at all.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Matchday was a sufferance, the opposite of life-affirming.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 10 July 2024
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
The Kirk Douglas, the smallest of the company’s three venues and ostensibly the most experimental, is the scrappy Culver City orphan, living at the sufferance of its older siblings at L.A.’s Music Center.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2023
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
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
—Thomas Jefferson Et Al, Cincinnati.com, 4 July 2018
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Matchday was a sufferance, the opposite of life-affirming.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 10 July 2024
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
The Kirk Douglas, the smallest of the company’s three venues and ostensibly the most experimental, is the scrappy Culver City orphan, living at the sufferance of its older siblings at L.A.’s Music Center.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2023
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
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
—Thomas Jefferson Et Al, Cincinnati.com, 4 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufferance
Noun
-
In entertainment, one of the more significant proposals is the No Fakes Act, which would give individuals a right to control their digital likeness, meaning that content creators would need permission to recreate celebrities and anyone else using AI.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
5 June 2025
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National Donut Day, which comes around annually on the first Friday of June, isn't just promotional permission to partake in pastries – the celebration has some historical heft.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Noun
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But there’s less of a livewire, look-at-us sense of attention-seeking that’s characteristic of new filmmakers desperate to make a mark, and more control, patience, and craftsmanship on display in this unsettling, semi-Gothic tale of grief solutions gone wrong.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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Which of the following best describes your urgency / patience for Detroit to get back in the postseason?—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Agencies and their clients did not give consent, and they have not been compensated.—
Henry Kurkowski,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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In one case filed by unions, a federal judge in Maryland determined that the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) likely violated the Privacy Act by disclosing personal information to DOGE affiliates without people's consent.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Governance structures should include review cycles, simulation environments and risk tolerance thresholds.—
Premsai Ranga,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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First Lady Melania Trump dismissed claims that her husband's feud with Harvard is about something other than the school's tolerance of antisemitism.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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But their work authorization is tied to their parole status, and reapplying for permission to work in the United States will take months.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2025
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This withdrawal came following the company’s public announcement to increase its share repurchase authorization to $750 million and commit to utilize $200 million of such authorization over the next three months and $500 million within the next 12 months.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sufferance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufferance. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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