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

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

• long-suffering
• patience
• sufferance
• tolerance

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

These are requests to retroactively count specific past forbearance periods toward PSLF forgiveness under a special program. —Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

The company and its lienholders had entered into several forbearance agreements to extend the deadline, with the latest deadline on April 24. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025

When the pandemic began in March 2020, all federal student loans were put in forbearance. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025

Many of those borrowers remain in a forbearance that doesn’t bring them closer to debt forgiveness, while the Trump administration recently revised other student loan repayment plans to no longer conclude in debt cancellation. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 2 Apr. 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