This adjective literally means 'enduring evil' or 'bearing up under pain.' Paul uses it in 2 Timothy 2:24 to describe how the Lord's servant must be patient with opponents. The term carries more than passive endurance—it suggests active forbearance that does not retaliate when wronged. Classical usage emphasized endurance of pain or suffering. French preserves the Greek form, while Spanish and English both choose 'patient,' and German opts for 'geduldig' (patient). The compound structure (ἀνεξι-κακ-ος) emphasizes holding up under (ἀνέχω) evil (κακός).