Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Showing, characterized by, or given to permissiveness or generosity with regard to others.
  • adjective Showing, characterized by, or given to self-indulgence.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Disposed or prone to indulge, humor, gratify, or give way to one's own or another's desires, etc., or to be compliant, lenient, or forbearing; showing or ready to show favor; favorable; indisposed to be severe or harsh, or to exercise necessary restraint: as, an indulgent parent; to be indulgent to servants.
  • Synonyms Lenient, forbearing, tolerant, gentle. See gratify.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Prone to indulge; yielding to the wishes, humor, or appetites of those under one's care; compliant; not opposing or restraining; tolerant; mild; favorable; not severe.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Disposed or prone to indulge, humor, gratify, or give way to one's own or another's desires, etc., or to be compliant, lenient, or forbearing; showing or ready to show favor; favorable; indisposed to be severe or harsh, or to exercise necessary restraint: as, an indulgent parent; to be indulgent to servants.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective being favorably inclined
  • adjective tolerant or lenient
  • adjective characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone

Etymologies

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Examples

  • She lost herself in indulgent kisses, swimming in the headiness of a boy!

    Storytelling. « 2009

  • This film is too flat and uninvolving to deserve a term like indulgent.

    Michael Giltz: Cannes 2011 Day Three: A Pope, A Pianist, A Philogoist and More! Michael Giltz 2011

  • This film is too flat and uninvolving to deserve a term like indulgent.

    Michael Giltz: Cannes 2011 Day Three: A Pope, A Pianist, A Philogoist and More! Michael Giltz 2011

  • But sometimes artists can become incredibly over-indulgent, which is why I think it's generally healthy to have the studio execs and producers there to push the other way.

    John Woo’s Red Cliff U.S. Movie Trailer | /Film 2009

  • Anyone who has the audacity to attempt it, particularly with regard to the significant effects of the policies of the current incumbants of the Whitehouse and Number 10, can expect to be labelled indulgent apologists.

    No Apology For Strawmen Garry 2006

  • Anyone who has the audacity to attempt it, particularly with regard to the significant effects of the policies of the current incumbants of the Whitehouse and Number 10, can expect to be labelled indulgent apologists.

    Archive 2006-04-01 Garry 2006

  • "Wealthy consumers today want something sexier, more indulgent, which is why BMW and Mercedes have done well."

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • The teens who were being raised by so-called indulgent parents who tend to give their children lots of praise and warmth - but offer little in the way of consequences or monitoring of bad behavior - were among the biggest abusers of alcohol.

    NPR Topics: News 2011

  • The teens who were being raised by so-called indulgent parents who tend to give their children lots of praise and warmth - but offer little in the way of consequences or monitoring of bad behavior - were among the biggest abusers of alcohol.

    NPR Topics: News 2011

  • The teens who were being raised by so-called indulgent parents who tend to give their children lots of praise and warmth - but offer little in the way of consequences or monitoring of bad behavior - were among the biggest abusers of alcohol.

    NPR Topics: News 2011

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