patience
noun
pa·tience
ˈpā-shən(t)s 
1
: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient: such as
a
: the ability to accept obstacles or delays in a calm and self-possessed way
The longest lines are always for the barbecue, and those with the patience to wait will find out why.—
Danielle Ames
Danielle Ames
b
: the ability to act with calm or restraint under provocation or strain
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
I don't have much patience for that kind of behavior.
The team continues to play poorly, and many fans are starting to lose patience.
c
: the ability to persevere over a long period of time despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
I don't have the patience to do crossword puzzles.
… a complex bureaucracy that requires endless patience to navigate.—Tara Henley
Tara Henley2
chiefly British
: solitaire sense 2
Examples of patience in a Sentence
To be a biographer is a somewhat peculiar endeavor. It seems to me it requires not only the tact, patience, and thoroughness of a scholar but also the stamina of a horse.
—Nancy Milford, Vanity Fair, August 2001
… in this time of bioethical conundrums, it is good to know that patience, good will, and personal morality will untie far more intellectual knots than the disarray of rancor, conflict, and special interests …
—Sherwin B. Nuland, New Republic, 13 Dec. 1999
Mind-numbing delays and irrelevant search results are enough to try the patience of the most saintly Web surfers.
—Neil Gross et al., Business Week, 14 June 1999
After a while, their ideological certitudes tried the patience of their own peoples …
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., New Yorker, 16 Nov. 1992
I don't have the patience to wait in line for hours just to buy a ticket.
Investors need to have patience. The economy will improve soon.
She treated her students with great patience and humor.
I don't have the patience to do crossword puzzles.
Nancy Milford, Vanity Fair, August 2001
… in this time of bioethical conundrums, it is good to know that patience, good will, and personal morality will untie far more intellectual knots than the disarray of rancor, conflict, and special interests …
—Sherwin B. Nuland, New Republic, 13 Dec. 1999
Mind-numbing delays and irrelevant search results are enough to try the patience of the most saintly Web surfers.
—Neil Gross et al., Business Week, 14 June 1999
After a while, their ideological certitudes tried the patience of their own peoples …
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., New Yorker, 16 Nov. 1992
I don't have the patience to wait in line for hours just to buy a ticket.
Investors need to have patience. The economy will improve soon.
She treated her students with great patience and humor.
I don't have the patience to do crossword puzzles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, Americans need some loyalty, appreciation of complexity and uncertainty, along with much perspective, moral clarity, and that essential wartime asset — patience.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Jeremiah would thrive with a family that can provide supervision, structure, patience and understanding, along with a consistent routine.
—The Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas showed that chimpanzees make tools and wage political struggles, that gorillas live in complex family groups, and that orangutans raise their young with a patience and investment that rivals that of humans.
—Mireya Mayor, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The Rockies are asking for patience, recognizing this is likely a three-year project to return to relevance.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patience
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Jeremiah would thrive with a family that can provide supervision, structure, patience and understanding, along with a consistent routine.
—The Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas showed that chimpanzees make tools and wage political struggles, that gorillas live in complex family groups, and that orangutans raise their young with a patience and investment that rivals that of humans.
—Mireya Mayor, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The Rockies are asking for patience, recognizing this is likely a three-year project to return to relevance.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patience
Cite this Entry
“Patience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patience. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patience
noun
pa·tience
ˈpā-shən(t)s
: the quality or state of being patient
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