Tolerate vs. Permit: What's the Difference?
Tolerate and Permit Definitions
Tolerate
To refrain from interfering with or prohibiting (something undesirable or outside one's own practice or beliefs); allow or permit
The president will not tolerate any deviation from stated policy.
Permit
To allow the doing of (something); consent to
Permit the sale of alcoholic beverages.
Tolerate
To recognize and respect (the rights, beliefs, or practices of others).
Permit
To grant consent or leave to (someone); authorize
Permitted him to explain.
Tolerate
To accept or be patient regarding (something unpleasant or undesirable); endure
Tolerated his insults for weeks.
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Permit
To afford opportunity or possibility for
Weather that permits sailing.
Tolerate
(Medicine) To have tolerance for (a substance or pathogen).
Permit
To afford opportunity; allow
If circumstances permit.
Tolerate
(transitive) To allow or permit without explicit approval, usually if it is perceived as negative.
The party tolerated corruption within its ranks.
Permit
A document or certificate giving permission to do something
A building permit.
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Tolerate
(transitive) To bear, withstand.
I can tolerate working on Saturday, but not Sunday.
The elevator can tolerate up to 360 kilograms.
Permit
A carangid fish (Trachinotus falcatus) of the western Atlantic Ocean, having a laterally compressed silvery body and a deeply forked tail and valued as a food and game fish.
Tolerate
To suffer to be, or to be done, without prohibition or hindrance; to allow or permit negatively, by not preventing; not to restrain; to put up with; as, to tolerate doubtful practices.
Crying should not be tolerated in children.
We tolerate them because property and liberty, to a degree, require that toleration.
Permit
(transitive) To allow (something) to happen, to give permission for.
Tolerate
Put up with something or somebody unpleasant;
I cannot bear his constant criticism
The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks
He learned to tolerate the heat
She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage
Permit
(transitive) To allow (someone) to do something; to give permission to.
Tolerate
Recognize and respect (rights and beliefs of others);
We must tolerate the religions of others
Permit
(intransitive) To allow for, to make something possible.
Tolerate
Have a tolerance for a poison or strong drug or pathogen;
The patient does not tolerate the anti-inflammatory drugs we gave him
Permit
(intransitive) To allow, to admit (of).
Tolerate
Allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting;
We don't allow dogs here
Children are not permitted beyond this point
We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital
Permit
To grant formal authorization for (something).
The Building Department permitted that project last week.
Permit
To attempt to obtain or succeed in obtaining formal authorization for (something).
We've been busy permitting the State Street development.
Permit
To hand over, resign (something to someone).
Permit
An artifact or document rendering something allowed or legal.
A construction permit can be obtained from the town offices.
Go over to the park office and get a permit for the #3 shelter.
Permit
A learner's permit.
Permit
(obsolete) Formal permission.
Permit
A pompano of the species Trachinotus falcatus.
Permit
To consent to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up with.
What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . . he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone.
Permit
To grant (one) express license or liberty to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; - followed by an infinitive.
Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.
Permit
To give over; to resign; to leave; to commit.
Let us not aggravate our sorrows,But to the gods permit the event of things.
Permit
To grant permission; to allow.
Permit
Warrant; license; leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land goods subject to duty.
Permit
A large pompano (Trachinotus goodei) of the West Indies, Florida, etc. It becomes about three feet long.
Permit
A legal document giving official permission to do something
Permit
The act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization
Permit
Large game fish; found in waters of the West Indies
Permit
Consent to, give permission;
She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband
I won't let the police search her basement
I cannot allow you to see your exam
Permit
Make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen;
This permits the water to rush in
This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement
This will permit the rain to run off
Permit
Allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting;
We don't allow dogs here
Children are not permitted beyond this point
We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital
