indulgence

[ in-duhl-juhns ]

noun

1. the act or practice of indulging; gratification of desire.
2. the state of being indulgent.
3. indulgent allowance or tolerance.

   Synonyms: allowance, forbearance, sufferance

4. a catering to someone's mood or whim; humoring:

   The sick man demanded indulgence as his due.

5. something indulged in:

   Her favorite indulgence was candy.

6. Roman Catholic Church. a partial remission of the temporal punishment, especially purgatorial atonement, that is still due for a sin or sins after absolution. Compare plenary indulgence.
7. English and Scottish History. (in the reigns of Charles II and James II) a grant by the king to Protestant dissenters and Roman Catholics freeing them from certain penalties imposed, by legislation, because of their religion.
8. Commerce. an extension, through favor, of time for payment or performance.

verb (used with object)

, in·dul·genced, in·dul·genc·ing.

1. Roman Catholic Church. to provide with an indulgence:

   an indulgenced pilgrimage to Rome.

indulgence

/ ɪnˈdʌldʒəns /

noun

1. the act of indulging or state of being indulgent
2. a pleasure, habit, etc, indulged in; extravagance

   fur coats are an indulgence

3. liberal or tolerant treatment
4. something granted as a favour or privilege
5. RC Church a remission of the temporal punishment for sin after its guilt has been forgiven
6. commerce an extension of time granted as a favour for payment of a debt or as fulfilment of some other obligation
7. Also calledDeclaration of Indulgence a royal grant during the reigns of Charles II and James II of England giving Nonconformists and Roman Catholics a measure of religious freedom

verb

1. RC Church to designate as providing indulgence

   indulgenced prayers

indulgence

1. In the Roman Catholic Church , a declaration by church authorities that those who say certain prayers or do good deeds will have some or all of their punishment in purgatory remitted.

Notes

In the Middle Ages , indulgences were frequently sold, and the teaching on indulgences was often distorted. The attack by Martin Luther on the sale of indulgences began the Reformation .

Other Words From

• nonin·dulgence noun
• prein·dulgence noun
• rein·dulgence noun
• super·in·dulgence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of indulgence¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English word from Latin word indulgentia. See indulge, -ence

Example Sentences

After that indulgence, we decided to walk off some calories and took a stroll to Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood, about two miles south near the Inner Harbor.

From Washington Blade

Tastemade’s goal was to showcase Castello as an everyday indulgence.

From Digiday

She still prefers to serve it as a small single serving because anything more ruins the indulgence.

From Eater

Of course you shouldn’t make choices that will cause financial stress later, but I’d encourage you to lean into indulgence, whatever that means for you.

From Outside Online

You attend a performance twice a month, an indulgence which marks the passing of the weeks.

From MIT Technology Review

Three years ago, she moved to New Orleans, where, she says, she encountered a great culture of indulgence.

From The Daily Beast

But even still, that little sip of indulgence from a mug or a glass tastes almost just as sweet.

From The Daily Beast

The indulgence, however, does not apply to sins that have not yet been committed.

From The Daily Beast

Jill also admitted to her past indulgence in the substance at a Led Zeppelin concert.

From The Daily Beast

So the general posture of the adult world, in early 1964, was a kind of dismissive indulgence.

From The Daily Beast

They had been permitted to sit up till after the ice-cream, which naturally marked the limit of human indulgence.

From Project Gutenberg

Hexam watched her with an amused indulgence that in no wise tempered his mounting admiration.

From Project Gutenberg

One would imagine, to hear these (p. 171) people talk, that smoking was the only selfish indulgence in the world.

From Project Gutenberg

He glanced up and saw the face of the Bruder watching him with a smile of patient indulgence.

From Project Gutenberg

Here is Christianity with its marvellous parable of the Prodigal Son to teach us indulgence and pardon.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• extravagance
• kindness
• leniency
• permissiveness
• privilege