n. | 1. | |
1. | The act of indulging or humoring; the quality of being indulgent; forbearance of restrain or control. | |
2. | An indulgent act; favor granted; gratification. | |
3. | (R. C. Ch.) Remission of the temporal punishment due to sins, after the guilt of sin has been remitted by sincere repentance; absolution from the censures and public penances of the church. It is a payment of the debt of justice to God by the application of the merits of Christ and his saints to the contrite soul through the church. It is therefore believed to diminish or destroy for sins the punishment of purgatory. | |
v. t. | 1. | To grant an indulgence to. |
Noun | 1. | indulgence - an inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires Synonyms: self-indulgence |
2. | indulgence - a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone; "too much indulgence spoils a child" | |
3. | indulgence - the act of indulging or gratifying a desire | |
4. | indulgence - foolish or senseless behavior | |
5. | indulgence - the remission by the pope of the temporal punishment in purgatory that is still due for sins even after absolution; "in the Middle Ages the unrestricted sale of indulgences by pardoners became a widespread abuse" |
INDULGENCE. A favor granted.
2. It is a general rule that where a creditor gives indulgence, by
entering into a binding contract with a principal debtor, by which the
surety is or may be damnified, such surety is discharged, because the
creditor has put it out of his power to enforce immediate payment; when the
surety would have a right to require him to do so. 6 Dow, P. C. 238; 3
Mer. R. 272; Bac. Ab. Oblig. D; and see Giving Time.
3. But mere inaction by the creditor, if he do not deprive himself of
the right to sue the principal, does not in general discharge the surety.
See Forbearance.