resilience

[ ri-zil-yuhns, -zil-ee-uhns ]

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.

Other Words From

• non·re·sil·i·ence noun
• non·re·sil·i·en·cy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of resilience¹

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

Example Sentences

She said: “All parts of the Scottish government resilience network stand ready to respond to the storm.”

From BBC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s head honcho delivered half a minute of praise for Trump’s resilience, work ethic and other character traits that he very obviously doesn’t possess.

From Salon

"We've been through all of it, but one thing with Haitians is that we have proven over and over that we are people of strength, resilience and unwavering faith."

From Salon

The study stresses the necessity of a holistic approach to coastal resilience that addresses the full spectrum of climate-related hazards.

From Science Daily

To Brown the peaches are a symbol of resilience.

From Salon

Related Words

• flexibility