pleasures or activities you allow yourself that are not strictly necessary but enjoyable; or in history, official church documents that supposedly reduced punishment for sins.
From Latin 'indulgentia' (favor, kindness). From 'indulgere' (to be kind to). The religious meaning developed in medieval Christianity.
The church's sale of indulgences in the 1500s—promising forgiveness of sins for money—became so corrupt that it triggered the entire Protestant Reformation, showing how one word's practice changed world history.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.