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
Relevance
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
And Stewart, who is not, now works at their sufferance.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2025
Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 26 Sep. 2025
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
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
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
David Remnick, New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2025
Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 26 Sep. 2025
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufferance
Noun
-
Cassidy could be the favorite to land either job if he’s ever granted permission from the Golden Knights to interview with them.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
The Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in on a legal battle over a Texas law requiring app stores to implement age verification for users and require parental permission for minors to download apps after a federal appeals court allowed the law to go into effect.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
On the eve of the World Cup kickoff, FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for patience in the face of a series of crises that threaten to overshadow the start of the tournament, led by the case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
King Philip’s patience paid off in the form of a 5-4 win and a ticket to Polar Park later this week to face Milton with a state crown at stake.—
Tim Crowley,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Noun
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His alleged crime was preaching without the authorization of the Church of England, the colony’s official church.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
The pilot's project manager says Dominion's water court filing seeks authorization to harvest approximately 111 acre-feet of water annually.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Start with a low-strength over-the-counter retinol two or three nights a week and apply it over moisturizer rather than on bare skin, then build frequency as tolerance grows.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
-
Quitting cold turkey is faster and can reset tolerance in one to two weeks.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
What do you guys think this movie is adding to the conversation about consent and violence against women?—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
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During the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah watched policies that seemed designed for urbanites arrive in her rural town without the consent of residents or evidence of their local efficacy.—
Scott Warren,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
But, as is often the case with these kinds of monkey’s paws, the granting of a wish comes at a great cost—the wishmaker’s life.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In this age of excess and endless wish granting, self denial becomes a superpower and a necessity.—
Maggie Anders,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sufferance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufferance. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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