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intolérant

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Etymology and origin of the French word intolérant

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1609 P. Camus, Diversitez More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
Latin tolerō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin tolerō
French tolérer
English tolerate
Romanian tolera
French tolérant
English tolerant
French intolérant
From the same root
Latin tolerābilis ← tolerō

Pronunciation

  • /ɛ̃.tɔ.le.ʁɑ̃/[1]

Forms

intolérant (feminine intolérante, masculine plural intolérants, feminine plural intolérantes)[1] Early spelling intollerans (1609).[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French in- + tolérant, after Latin intolerāns (“unable to bear”).[2][3][4][5] Littré and Wiktionary take it straight from the Latin adjective,[6][1] which is formed from in- and the present participle of tolerō (“to bear, tolerate”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1609, in P. Camus's Diversitez, meaning “unable to bear” something: Ils sont intollerans du travail, de la faim, de la soif (“They cannot bear work, hunger, thirst”).[2]

Semantic evolution

The religious sense, unwilling to accept other beliefs, is recorded before 1702 in Jurieu, quoted in Furetière's dictionary of 1701, where it is also used as a noun.[2][5][7] It is now as common as tolérant.[7] Littré notes that it was used above all of religion.[6] Medicine uses it of a patient who cannot tolerate a substance.[4]

Timeline

  • 1609 – P. Camus writes intollerans du travail.[2]
  • 1611 – The noun intolérance is recorded.[8]
  • 1701 – Furetière records the religious sense, from Jurieu.[2][5]
  • 1762 – The Académie records it as an adjective.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Intolerant, not accepting beliefs or opinions other than one's own, especially in religion; also as a noun: un intolérant.[4][5][6]
  2. Lacking indulgence or understanding, narrow-minded: un père intolérant.[4]
  3. (rare) Unable to bear something.[4][2]
  4. (medicine) Showing an intolerance to a substance.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
Cite this entry

“Intolérant.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/intol%C3%A9rant. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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