Indulgencies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The acts of allowing oneself to enjoy pleasures or luxuries; the instances of yielding to desires or whims; behaviors that reflect a tendency to be lenient or permissive towards oneself or others
2. Instances of gratifying personal desires or appetites; expressions of leniency in rules or restrictions for personal enjoyment; practices that showcase a willingness to indulge in excess or comfort
3. The actions associated with accommodating one's pleasures or wishes; the surrender to personal whims and desires; the general tendency to be generous or forgiving towards one's own inclinations

Etymology: "Indulgencies" is the plural of "indulgency," a noun that has become a rare variant of "indulgence." Its root is Latin "indulgentia," from "indulgere," meaning to be kind, yield to, or give free rein to. That Latin verb is also the source of "indulge," and the family has long carried both the sense of gentle forbearance and the sense of letting oneself enjoy something. Used in the plural, "indulgencies" refers to individual acts of self-gratification, each one a separate lapse into pleasure or excess. The plural is uncommon, and most writers prefer "indulgences" for the same meaning, so this form reads as a deliberate or archaic choice.

Synonyms: gratifications, pleasures

Antonyms: restrictions, abstinences