Final answer:
Antibiotic tolerance is the term that describes the situation where microorganisms start to tolerate a drug concentration that would typically be inhibitory to their growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes the situation where microorganisms start to tolerate a drug concentration that would typically be inhibitory to their growth is antibiotic tolerance. Antibiotic tolerance refers to the ability of microorganisms to survive and continue to multiply in the presence of a drug that would normally kill or inhibit their growth.
This phenomenon occurs due to the ability of microorganisms to adapt and evolve in response to the selective pressure exerted by the drug. Over time, microorganisms can develop various mechanisms to counteract the effects of the drug, allowing them to tolerate higher concentrations that would typically be inhibitory.