Tolérable

Tolérable is an adjective used in French to describe something that can be tolerated or endured without excessive difficulty. It can refer to physical conditions, emotional states, or nuisances, such as une température tolérable or un bruit tolérable. The English cognate is tolerable, meaning capable of being endured or accepted as not completely pleasant but not prohibitive.

Etymology and forms: Tolérable derives from Latin tolerabilis, "able to be endured," via Old French tolérable. The verb tolérer means to tolerate; the related noun is tolérance (tolerance). In French, tolérable is typically used in masculine form; feminine and plural forms follow standard agreement (tolérable, tolérables).

Usage: Tolérable signals a threshold that is acceptable within a given context, and is often contrasted with unbearable or intolerable. It is commonly used in discussions of pain, risk, noise, or discomfort, as in "un niveau de bruit tolérable" or "une douleur tolérable." In English, tolerable is similarly used: "a tolerable temperature," "the risk is tolerable"—though it can imply only a marginal tolerance rather than a desirable state. In policy or quality contexts, "tolerable" is used to denote compliance with minimum standards.

See also: tolérance, tolérer, tolerance; bearable; bearability.