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antifragile

American  
[an-tee-fraj-uhl, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈfrædʒ əl, ˌæn taɪ- /

adjective

  1. becoming more robust when exposed to stressors, uncertainty, or risk.

    We've made the structure sturdy and antifragile, so bad weather makes it stronger.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of antifragile

Coined in 2012 by Lebanese-born U.S. mathematical statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb (born 1960) in his book Antifragile; anti- ( def. ) + fragile ( def. )

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.

The other difficulty is that too many of the ideas contained here appear thin and brittle rather than rich and flexible: fragile rather than antifragile.

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

Taleb thinks we should all try to be antifragile.

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

He says books and their authors should be antifragile too.

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

Taleb says the least antifragile state in the world at the moment is Saudi Arabia, a plausible claim though one it would be nice to see argued out.

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

But you are antifragile if shocks and disruptions make you stronger and more creative, better able to adapt to each new challenge you face.

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

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