forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance fȯr-ˈber-ən(t)s 

fər-

plural forbearances

1

: a refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due

The policy provides a means of forbearance for borrowers meeting certain criteria.

2

: the act of forbearing : patience

… a sudden formality in his manner, which showed that his forbearance was at last failing him.

—Wilkie Collins

Mrs Varden entreated her to remember that … marriage … was a state requiring great fortitude and forbearance.

—Charles Dickens

3

: the quality of being forbearing : leniency

… known … for her forbearance with her incorrigible husband.

—Willa Cather

Synonyms of forbearance

• patience

Examples of forbearance in a Sentence

He showed great forbearance in his dealings with them.

we thank you for your forbearance while we attend to the technical difficulties interrupting the TV program

Recent Examples on the Web

Private-sector financing could not match the forbearance or patience of Chinese state financing in sectors that required tremendous capital. —Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025

But these signs receded somewhat in the following years, as government stimulus checks and loan-payment forbearance helped boost the fortunes of lower-income households. —Rob Wile, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2025

Moynihan noted that Bank of America and its related companies also bank between 250,000 to 300,000 government employees, all of whom are now being offered services such as loan forbearance and fee forgiveness given issues related to their pay. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025

The wide-ranging pact also includes amendment of a forbearance agreement with Palomar’s lenders, a requirement that lenders created after the public health care district breached financial covenants on more than $700 million in revenue bond debt. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see forbear entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for forbearance

• clarence

Kids Definition

forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance fȯr-ˈbar-ən(t)s 

fər-, 

-ˈber-

1

: the act of forbearing

2

: the quality of being forbearing : patience

Legal Definition

forbearance

noun

for·​bear·​ance

variants also forebearance

fȯr-ˈbar-əns

: a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due