v. i. To indulge one's self; to gratify one's tastes or desires; esp., to give one's self up (to); to practice a forbidden or questionable act without restraint; -- followed by in, but formerly, also, by to. “Willing to indulge in easy vices.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Indulged p. pr. & vb. n. Indulging ] [ L. indulgere to be kind or tender to one; cf. OIr. dilgud, equiv. to L. remissio, OIr. dligeth, equiv. to L. lex, Goth. dulgs debt. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To be complacent toward; to give way to; not to oppose or restrain; (a) when said of a habit, desire, etc.: to give free course to; to give one's self up to; as, to indulge sloth, pride, selfishness, or inclinations; (b) when said of a person: to yield to the desire of; to gratify by compliance; to humor; to withhold restraint from; as, to indulge children in their caprices or willfulness; to indulge one's self with a rest or in pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hope in another life implies that we indulge ourselves in the gratifications of this very sparingly. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To grant as by favor; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request. [ 1913 Webster ]

Persuading us that something must be indulged to public manners. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yet, yet a moment, one dim ray of light
Indulge, dread Chaos, and eternal Night! Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is remarked by Johnson, that if the matter of indulgence is a single thing, it has with before it; if it is a habit, it has in; as, he indulged himself with a glass of wine or a new book; he indulges himself in idleness or intemperance. See Gratify. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Indulgence. [ R. ] Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. indulgentia: cf. F. indulgence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of indulging or humoring; the quality of being indulgent; forbearance of restrain or control. [ 1913 Webster ]

If I were a judge, that word indulgence should never issue from my lips. Tooke. [ 1913 Webster ]

They err, that through indulgence to others, or fondness to any sin in themselves, substitute for repentance anything less. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An indulgent act; favor granted; gratification. [ 1913 Webster ]

If all these gracious indulgences are without any effect on us, we must perish in our own folly. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To grant an indulgence to. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Indulgence. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. indulgens, -entis, p. pr. of indulgere: cf. F. indulgent. See Indulge. ] 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; as, an indulgent parent. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The indulgent censure of posterity. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

The feeble old, indulgent of their ease. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to the indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church. Brevint. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an indulgent manner; mildly; favorably. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who indulges. W. Montagu. [ 1913 Webster ]