resilience

American  

[ri-zil-yuhns, -zil-ee-uhns] / rɪˈzɪl yəns, -ˈzɪl i əns /

Also resiliency

noun

1. the power or ability of a material to return to its original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.

2. the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.; buoyancy.

3. the ability of a system or organization to respond to or recover readily from a crisis, disruptive process, etc..

   Cities can build resilience to climate change by investing in infrastructure.

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Other Word Forms

• nonresilience noun
• nonresiliency noun

Etymology

Origin of resilience

First recorded in 1620–30; resili(ent) + -ence

Example Sentences

In previous seasons, it was Chelsea who people described as the 'mentality monsters' but Arsenal have shown resilience in abundance.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

“We’re focused on helping people and organizations use AI by strengthening skills, increasing cybersecurity and resilience, and advancing trusted governance.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

They identified pressure on the software sector since Anthropic launched new AI tools to compete, and noted how this places in doubt the resilience of their business models.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

But Iranian forces continue to operate mobile systems and launch retaliatory attacks, underscoring the regime’s resilience and the difficulty of neutralizing its long‑range capabilities completely.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Alex and I did a video of ourselves as well, describing why we had decided to do the project, and how I wanted to show the resilience and dignity of my people.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Related Words

• flexibility