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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
sufferance
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ All this brings out that teachers in higher education teach partly on sufferance.
▪ Criticism was allowed in certain territories at certain times, but only on sufferance.
▪ He was here on sufferance as coach driver and odd jobber.
▪ He was there on sufferance and most likely on trial and he knew that.
▪ Survey ships were carried on the Navy List, but Navy personnel remained aboard on sufferance only.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sufferance

Sufferance \Suf"fer*ance\, n. [OE. suffrance, OF. sufrance, soufrance, F. souffrance, L. sufferentia, from sufferens, -entis, p. pr. of sufferre. See Suffer.]

  1. The state of suffering; the bearing of pain; endurance.

    He must not only die the death, But thy unkindness shall his death draw out To lingering sufferance.
    --Shak.

  2. Pain endured; misery; suffering; distress.

    The seeming sufferances that you had borne.
    --Shak.

  3. Loss; damage; injury. [Obs.]

    A grievous . . . sufferance on most part of their fleet.
    --Shak.

  4. Submission under difficult or oppressive circumstances; patience; moderation.
    --Chaucer.

    But hasty heat tempering with sufferance wise.
    --Spenser.

  5. Negative consent by not forbidding or hindering; toleration; permission; allowance; leave.
    --Shak.

    In their beginning they are weak and wan, But soon, through sufferance, grow to fearful end.
    --Spenser.

    Somewhiles by sufferance, and somewhiles by special leave and favor, they erected to themselves oratories.
    --Hooker.

  6. A permission granted by the customs authorities for the shipment of goods. [Eng.]

    Estate of sufferance (Law), the holding by a tenant who came in by a lawful title, but remains, after his right has expired, without positive leave of the owner.
    --Blackstone.

    On sufferance, by mere toleration; as, to remain in a house on sufferance.

    Syn: Endurance; pain; misery; inconvenience; patience; moderation; toleration; permission.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
sufferance

c.1300, "enduring of hardship, affliction, etc.," also "allowance of wrongdoing," from Old French suffrance, from Late Latin sufferentia, from sufferens, present participle of sufferre "to bear, undergo, endure" (see suffer).

Wiktionary
sufferance

n. 1 (lb en archaic) endurance, especially patiently, of pain or adversity. 2 acquiescence or tacit compliance with some circumstance, behavior, or instruction. 3 (lb en archaic) suffering; pain, misery. 4 (lb en obsolete) Loss; damage; injury. 5 (lb en UK historical) A permission granted by the customs authorities for the shipment of goods.

WordNet
sufferance
  1. n. patient endurance especially of pain or distress

  2. a disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations; "all people should practice toleration and live together in peace" [syn: toleration, acceptance]

Usage examples of "sufferance".

It was now for more than the middle span of our allotted years that he had passed through the thousand vicissitudes of existence and, being of a wary ascendancy and self a man of rare forecast, he had enjoined his heart to repress all motions of a rising choler and, by intercepting them with the readiest precaution, foster within his breast that plenitude of sufferance which base minds jeer at, rash judgers scorn and all find tolerable and but tolerable.

Yet this lobcock liveth only by our sufferance, and I see a hath not forgot to bring with him to Witchland the price of our hand withheld from twisting of his neck.

I reached to a pitcher of daru, annoyed that those who remained upon sufferance would dare to doubt-and then merely held the pitcher without pouring.

The antechamber seemed a particularly suitable location for the signing since it--reminds the representatives of other themes that our troops are here without Molt sufferance.

For the great Priest which bare the restoration of my human shape, by the commandement of the goddes, Approached more and more, bearing in his left hand the timbrill, and in the other a garland of Roses to give me, to the end I might be delivered from cruel fortune, which was alwaies mine enemie, after the sufferance of so much calamitie and paine, and after the endurance of so manie perilles: Then I not returning hastilie, by reason of sodaine joye, lest I should disturbe the quiet procession with mine importunitie, but going softly through the prease of the people, which gave me place on every side, went after the Priest.

No man saw any thing else in her than a sovereign by sufferance, a woman sans consequence, a, powerless queen and unbeloved wife.

It was now for more than the middle span of our allotted years that he had passed through the thousand vicissitudes of existence and, being of a wary ascendancy and self a man of rare forecast, he had enjoined his heart to repress all motions of a rising choler and, by intercepting them with the readiest precaution, foster within his breast that plenitude of sufferance which base minds jeer at, rash judgers scorn and all find tolerable and but tolerable.

And put up one-way walls around human society and live by the sufferance of the yellowlegs in a world where the yellowlegs control all the resources.

For the great Priest which bare the restoration of my human shape, by the commandement of the goddes, Approached more and more, bearing in his left hand the timbrill, and in the other a garland of Roses to give me, to the end I might be delivered from cruel fortune, which was alwaies mine enemie, after the sufferance of so much calamitie and paine, and after the endurance of so manie perilles: Then I not returning hastilie, by reason of sodaine joye, lest I should disturbe the quiet procession with mine importunitie, but going softly through the prease of the people, which gave me place on every side, went after the Priest.

The Tycoon is serene: he thinks his two proclamations and his continued sufferance of McClellan will get him through the late autumn of discontent.

Then is discipline eke in knocking of thy breast, in scourging with yards [rods], in kneelings, in tribulations, in suffering patiently wrongs that be done to him, and eke in patient sufferance of maladies, or losing of worldly catel [chattels], or of wife, or of child, or of other friends.

All cleane dismayd to see so vncouth sight,And halfe enraged at her shamelesse guise,He thought haue slaine her in his fierce despight:But hasty heat tempring with sufferance wise,He stayde his hand, and gan himselfe aduiseTo proue his sense, and tempt her faigned truth.

I have no doubt but that cold is the source of more sufferance to all animal nature than hunger, thirst, sickness, &amp.

At this reminder that they live on Botany on sufferance, the entire colony decides that they should show goodwill to their unknown landlords by leaving the farmed continent on which they were dropped and moving to a smaller, unused continent across a small strait.

The myth of the world as a political, monarchial state in which we are all here on sufferance as subject to God.