The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tolerability \Tol`er*a*bil"i*ty\, n.
The quality or state of being tolerable. [R.]
--Fuller.
Wordsworth.
Wiktionary
n. The quality or state of being tolerable.
Wikipedia
Tolerability refers to the degree to which overt adverse effects of a drug can be tolerated by a patient. Tolerability of a particular drug can be discussed in a general sense, or it can be a quantifiable measurement as part of a clinical study. Usually, it is measured by the rate of "dropouts," or patients that forfeit participation in a study due to extreme adverse effects. Tolerability, however, is often relative to the severity of the medical condition a drug is designed to treat. For instance, cancer patients will generally tolerate an immense amount of pain or discomfort during a chemotherapeutic study with the hope of prolonging survival or finding a cure, whereas patients experiencing a benign condition, such as a headache, will not.
As an example, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are very poorly tolerated and often produce severe side effects including sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and anticholinergic effects, whereas newer antidepressants have far fewer adverse effects and are well tolerated.
Usage examples of "tolerability".
The weather of Winter is so relentless, so near the limit of tolerability even to them with all their cold-adaptations, that perhaps they use up their fighting spirit fighting the cold.