resource
Americannoun
-
resources
plural
-
a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.
- Synonyms:
- service, help, assistance, support, aid
-
resources, the collective wealth of a country or its means of producing wealth.
-
Usually resources money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets.
-
Often resources an available means afforded by the mind or one's personal capabilities.
to have resource against loneliness.
-
an action or measure to which one may have recourse in an emergency; expedient.
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capability in dealing with a situation or in meeting difficulties.
a woman of resource.
- Synonyms:
- ingenuity, adaptability
noun
-
capability, ingenuity, and initiative; quick-wittedness
a man of resource
-
(often plural) a source of economic wealth, esp of a country (mineral, land, labour, etc) or business enterprise (capital, equipment, personnel, etc)
-
a supply or source of aid or support; something resorted to in time of need
-
a means of doing something; expedient
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of resource
First recorded in 1640–50; from French ressource, Old French ressourse, noun derivative of resourdre “to rise up,” from Latin resurgere, equivalent to re- re- + surgere “to rise up, lift”; see resurge, source
Explanation
A resource is any personal talent or outside supply that can be tapped for help or support. Resource comes from an old French word meaning "relief" or "recovery," which certainly ties in with the idea of a resource being something that offers necessary aid. However, the word resource also refers to the natural resources available in and on our Earth — things that we are constantly drawing on and depleting, such as our trees, ores, and atmosphere. Once such a natural resource is used up, it’s usually gone forever, and is no longer a resource.
Vocabulary lists containing resource
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List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
During his appearance on BBC Breakfast, Goodburn called for more resource to be put into research and care, and for clinical trials happening elsewhere to be brought to the UK.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
He said he would use "every resource available" to make roads safer as the findings were reviewed.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
"The remaining resource configuration is considered unstable," the company said, warning that technical support communications could also be disrupted as teams assessed the damage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
And power struggles are more frequent as companies compete in a worldwide treasure hunt for the tech industry’s most coveted resource.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The first time he and Cara went to the resource center on Monday afternoon, it took him only twenty minutes to set up the basic framework of the newspaper.
From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements
"We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Geese were always an odd band to pin to anxieties about fabricated culture — if a label had resources and abilities to manufacture stars, why not do it for a 100x-hyperscaling pop act instead?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Globalization is unwinding, and competition over natural resources, trade routes and technology are taking its place.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Based on the designs and materials available during World War II, the researchers conclude that Nazi Germany lacked the resources necessary to make either its heavy water reactor or a graphite-based alternative operational.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
After all, people do not hand over their land, resources, children, and futures without a struggle!
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
