tol·er·ance 
(tŏlər-əns)
(tŏlər-əns)n.
1. The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.
2.
a. Leeway for variation from a standard.
b. The permissible deviation from a specified value of a structural dimension, often expressed as a percent.
3. The capacity to endure hardship or pain.
4.
a. Physiological resistance to a toxin.
b. Diminution in the physiological response to a drug that occurs after continued use, necessitating larger doses to produce a given response.
c. The ability to digest or metabolize a food, drug, or other substance or compound: glucose tolerance.
5.
a. Acceptance of a tissue graft or transplant without immunological rejection.
b. Unresponsiveness to an antigen that normally produces an immunologic reaction.
6. The ability of an organism to resist or survive infection by a parasitic or pathogenic organism.