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
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
-
With this special permission from the DOC Kakapo Project Manager and the Mauri Ora Kakapo Trust, my clients travel to spectacular South Island locations otherwise inaccessible to visitors – and home to the only remaining Kakapo now being carefully protected in the wild.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Many of Banky’s works appear on public and private spaces where permission may not have been granted.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Luna then squares restrictive Saturn, potentially challenging our patience — especially if expectations are clashing with reality.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Following Jackie and Shadow takes patience.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Citizenship and Immigration Services might grant their renewal but apply it to the date of their application instead of the end of the previous work authorization, effectively giving them less time.—
Gregory Royal Pratt,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The 45-year-old was caught in a sudden shift by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation that now requires applicants to provide proof of legal authorization to be in the United States.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Potential Side Effects Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of pre-workout depending on their caffeine tolerance and metabolism.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The famous detective novelist and screenwriter had written an essay for the magazine excoriating the motion-picture industry and its tolerance for—indeed celebration of—mindless mediocrity.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Congress and federal regulators are considering changes to the nation's organ donation system, including how consent is recorded and what should happen when a donor changes their mind.—
Dr. Céline Gounder,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The three cases deal with requirements to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent, and all of them make access to lawful speech conditional on identity verification — a violation of freedom of speech and parents’ autonomy to decide what’s best for their children.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Regulators have pledged faster turnarounds and the granting of rates that reflect growing wildfire risks to incentivize insurers to expand coverage in high-hazard areas.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The end of the group stage earlier in the week was overshadowed by Iran's departure from the tournament and the granting of asylum to members of the delegation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sufferance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufferance. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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