n. 1. Forbearance to punish or resent. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. patient endurance of pain or unhappiness.
Syn. -- long-suffering. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He must not only die the death,
But thy unkindness shall his death draw out
To lingering sufferance. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pain endured; misery; suffering; distress. [ 1913 Webster ]

The seeming sufferances that you had borne. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Loss; damage; injury. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A grievous . . . sufferance on most part of their fleet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Submission under difficult or oppressive circumstances; patience; moderation. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

But hasty heat tempering with sufferance wise. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Negative consent by not forbidding or hindering; toleration; permission; allowance; leave. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In their beginning they are weak and wan,
But soon, through sufferance, grow to fearful end. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Somewhiles by sufferance, and somewhiles by special leave and favor, they erected to themselves oratories. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A permission granted by the customs authorities for the shipment of goods. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Endurance; pain; misery; inconvenience; patience; moderation; toleration; permission. [ 1913 Webster ]