Tolerance is a term that comes from the Latin tolerate which means "support" or "accept". Tolerance is the act of acting with condescension and acceptance in the face of something you don't want or cannot prevent.
Tolerance is a fundamental attitude for those who live in society. A tolerant person usually accepts opinions or behaviors different from those established by their social environment. This type of tolerance is called "social tolerance".
November 16 was established by the UN as the International Day for Tolerance. This is one of the many measures taken by the United Nations to combat intolerance and the non-acceptance of cultural diversity.
This date still aims to fight the religious intolerance, which is the lack of understanding that some people have about the right of each individual to express their beliefs.
Learn more about meaning of religious intolerance.
In Medicine, the term "drug tolerance" is used to designate an individual's ability to withstand certain drugs. Tolerance to a medication may decrease as a result of overuse of the same medication.
Food tolerance is also the expression used to refer to the body's resistance to the consumption of certain substances, such as lactose, for example. On the other hand, when a person has food intolerance, it means that their body has difficulties in absorb certain substances, triggering negative consequences for the body, such as intoxication or allergies, by example.
The expression "zero tolerance" is used to define the degree of tolerance to a given law, procedure or rule, in order to prevent the acceptance of any conduct that could deviate from what was previously established. For example, "zero tolerance for drunk drivers".
See also: meaning of intolerance.