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
-
Used with the permission of the publisher, Viking.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce did not grant a license or permission of any kind to the production involving Sydney Sweeney as reported by TMZ, nor did anyone seek a license or permission from the Chamber for that production.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The latter would require humility and patience — qualities Hollywood doesn’t reward quickly.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Jaxen thrives in environments filled with warmth, patience, and encouragement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There is a legal authorization for the use of force, which is what makes this so different than the use of the military force against Venezuela or Greenland or Cuba or wherever the president wants to take us to war next.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Notably, the company has a $1 billion buyback authorization with no end date.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ask me 2-3 questions to understand my constraints, preferences and risk tolerance.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Yet overall, the electrohydraulic steering, electronically adjustable damping, and brake-by-wire system combine for handling that feels as exacting as the monocoque’s tolerances.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has refused to budge, defending blue slips as a core component of the Senate’s constitutional role in providing advice and consent.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits school personnel from disclosing a student's records to an immigration official unless the school has consent from the student’s parent or the official has a valid subpoena or court order.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The last large-scale granting of legal status took place almost 21 years ago, under the government of José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, which processed more than 576,000 applications.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Figure’s business centers around putting mortgages on the blockchain, which the company says speeds up the granting and funding of home loans.—
Jason Del Rey,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sufferance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufferance. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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