forbearance is patience, tolerance, or restraint; a temporary postponement or waiver of enforcement [fawr-bair-uhns]
BREAKDOWN: FOR- (before) + BEAR- (to bear or carry) + -ANCE (state of)
forbear means to refrain or abstain; to show self-control or withhold from retaliation or judgment
COMMONLY CONFUSED: a forebear is an ancestor, precursor, or person from whom one is descended
See also: deference, indifferent, proliferation
“Patience is a conquering virtue, if it not desert you, It vanquishes what force can never reach. Why answer back at every angry speech? No, learn forbearance or... you will be taught it, whether you will or not.” —Geoffrey Chaucer
