Meaning & use
indulgence
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of letting yourself have or do something enjoyable, especially in a way that is more than you really need.
Grammar: Used without an article for the habit: too much indulgence in sweets.
Patterns
- indulgence in something
Her indulgence in chocolate got worse during exam season.
A weekend at the spa was an indulgence she rarely allowed herself.
Too much indulgence in late nights left him tired all week.
nouncountable
A particular pleasure or luxury that you treat yourself to, though it is not necessary.
Grammar: Has a plural: small indulgences like coffee and a magazine.
Patterns
- a small indulgence
- an indulgence for someone
A fancy coffee on Fridays is my one small indulgence.
Buying a second pair of boots was a real indulgence.
Holiday desserts are a yearly indulgence in our family.
noununcountableformal
A willingness to be kind or lenient toward someone by letting them do as they like or overlooking their faults.
Grammar: Often asked for politely: beg your indulgence.
Patterns
- ask for someone's indulgence
- with indulgence
I ask for your indulgence while I find the right slide.
The teacher treated their jokes with good-humored indulgence.
The audience's indulgence allowed the nervous speaker to finish.
nouncountablereligion
In the Catholic Church, a pardon that reduces the punishment still owed for sins that have already been forgiven.
Grammar: Mostly appears in historical discussions, often in the plural: the sale of indulgences.
Patterns
- sell indulgences
The sale of indulgences angered many reformers in the sixteenth century.
The pilgrim hoped to earn an indulgence by visiting the shrine.
History students read about how indulgences became a source of church income.
Word forms
| plural | indulgences |
|---|
Common combinations
- guilty indulgence
- Late-night ice cream is my guilty indulgence.
- excessive indulgence
- Excessive indulgence in sugar can harm your teeth.
- beg someone's indulgence
- I must beg your indulgence for the delay.
- a rare indulgence
- A day without any plans is a rare indulgence.
- self-indulgence
- The film was criticized for its self-indulgence and endless length.
- indulgence in
- Her indulgence in gossip cost her some friendships.
Synonyms and how they differ
- treat
- A treat is a pleasant little reward and carries no hint of excess, whereas indulgence can suggest you are overdoing it.
- luxury
- Luxury stresses expense and comfort, while indulgence stresses the act of allowing yourself something.
- leniency
- Leniency is only about being less strict with others, so it matches the third sense but not the pleasure senses.
- gratification
- Gratification focuses on the satisfaction of a desire and is more formal and less everyday than indulgence.
Opposites
Word family
- indulge verb
- to allow yourself or someone else to enjoy something
- indulgent adjective
- too willing to give in to wishes, or luxuriously rich
- indulgently adverb
- in a kind and permissive manner
- self-indulgent adjective
- allowing yourself too many pleasures or too much freedom
Commonly confused: indulgence or induction?
indulgence vs induction
Induction means a formal introduction into a role or a method of reasoning; it does not mean treating yourself to pleasure.
Practice
Which phrase best completes the sentence: 'My weekly spa visit is a small ___.'
Choose one answer.
An indulgence is a pleasant extra you allow yourself. The other nouns have unrelated meanings, such as holding back or a formal accusation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indulgence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.