Zero tolerance means punishing transgressions to the full extent of the law without considering extenuating circumstances or the previous criminal record of the transgressor. Zero tolerance means no excuse or explanation will mitigate the penalty for breaking a rule or law. Zero tolerance first appeared in the United States in the 1970s to battle endemic crime, such as drugs. Interestingly, the first use of the term zero tolerance was by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 1950s and 1960s, to describe how much pesticide would be allowed in food. Law enforcement, schools and businesses all use the term zero tolerance today, to mean that all transgressors will be punished to the full extent possible without considering explanations or extenuating circumstances. Zero tolerance is a noun, when used as an adjective preceding a noun it is hyphenated, as in zero-tolerance policy.
Examples
Zero tolerance for child abuse, Turkish family minister says (The Daily Sabah)
The Indian Army has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping operations, Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag has emphasised while meeting UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who lauded the commitment and discipline of Indian peacekeepers. (The Tribune India)
The Catholic church in India has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards cases of paedophilia pertaining to priests. (The Hindu)
“When I see these people, these zealots, talking about zero tolerance, and outing them, I think that’s insane,” McLachlan told 3AW. (The Guardian)
Nebraska’s zero-tolerance policy toward race horses testing positive for certain drugs looks to be coming to an end. (The Columbus Telegram)
Mayor Lorenz “Lo” Walker changed the city’s zero-tolerance policy Monday to allow Bossier City employees to work and operate city vehicles with a BAC of up to .04 percent. (The Shreveport Times)