noun

patience

PAY-shuhns

noun

The ability to wait calmly or endure difficulty without becoming frustrated.

"Teaching young children requires a lot of patience."

"She waited with patience for the results to arrive."

A card game played by one person, arranging cards in a set order (also called solitaire).

"He passed the evening playing patience at the kitchen table."

How to Use Patience

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCalm endurance while waiting or dealing with difficulty, or, in Britain, the card game Americans call solitaire.

UK vs US

In British English "patience" is the usual name for the solo card game; American English calls it "solitaire."

Common pairings

run out of patience have patience play patience

patiences plural

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Teaching young children requires a lot of _____.

From Latin patientia, "endurance," from patior, "to suffer or endure."

hence fence Pence whence thence Spence absence science silence defence essence Terence