- There is also a movie called Intolerance. See Intolerance (movie).
Intolerance is the lack of ability or willingness to tolerate something.
In a medical sense, intolerance refers to the inability to ingest medications or foodstuffs without harmful allergic (or other) reactions.
In a social or political sense, it is the absence of tolerance toward others of differing viewpoints. As a social construct, it is very much open to subjective interpretation.
For example, one of its current meanings in the American political sphere is "an expressed attitude of disagreement with another's views", with no direct action taken to squelch the opposing views or silence those who hold them. This definition is highly rhetorical, as it would imply a definition of its contrast, tolerance, as "an attitude of agreement". The irony is that tolerance can mean "disagreeing peaceably".
The murder of Matthew Shepard is considered by some to be the pinnacle of intolerance. Others consider the web pages and picketing by Fred Phelps to be as bad or worse.
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents the federal government from silencing hate speech, which can be defined as expression of intolerance without criminal action.
Common forms of intolerance include racism, sexism, homophobia, and religious intolerance.
| 
