tollerante

Tollerante is an Italian adjective meaning tolerant or permissive. It describes a person, attitude, or policy characterized by a willingness to accept opinions, beliefs, or practices that differ from one’s own. A tollerante person respects others’ rights to hold different viewpoints and avoids coercive or discriminatory behavior. The term is used across social, political, and religious contexts to describe inclusive attitudes or policies that protect freedom of expression and belief, or that refrain from imposing uniform norms.

Etymology and usage: tollerante derives from Latin tolerare, “to endure,” and tolerantia, “tolerance.” The related verb tollerare means to tolerate or endure, and the noun tolleranza denotes tolerance. In contemporary Italian, tollerante can be used neutrally or positively to describe open-mindedness, but it can also function descriptively without implying active endorsement. The antonym is intollerante, meaning intolerant; related contrasts include termini like permissivo or rigido, depending on nuance.

Context and nuance: the word appears in discussions of pluralism, human rights, and multiculturalism, as well as in everyday language when describing interpersonal dynamics. While a tollerante stance is often valued in liberal and democratic discourse, debates may question whether tolerance implies genuine acceptance or merely non-opposition.