resistance
Americannoun
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the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.
- Synonyms:
- intransigence, defiance, obstinacy, opposition
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the opposition offered by one thing, force, etc., to another.
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Electricity.
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Also called ohmic resistance. a property of a conductor by virtue of which the passage of current is opposed, causing electric energy to be transformed into heat: equal to the voltage across the conductor divided by the current flowing in the conductor: usually measured in ohms. R
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a conductor or coil offering such opposition; resistor.
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Psychiatry. opposition to an attempt to bring repressed thoughts or feelings into consciousness.
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(often initial capital letter) an underground organization composed of groups of private individuals working as an opposition force in a conquered country to overthrow the occupying power, usually by acts of sabotage, guerrilla warfare, etc..
the resistance during the German occupation in World War II.
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Stock Exchange. resistance level.
noun
noun
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the act or an instance of resisting
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the capacity to withstand something, esp the body's natural capacity to withstand disease
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R. the opposition to a flow of electric current through a circuit component, medium, or substance. It is the magnitude of the real part of the impedance and is measured in ohms Compare reactance
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( as modifier )
resistance coupling
a resistance thermometer
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any force that tends to retard or oppose motion
air resistance
wind resistance
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(in psychoanalytical theory) the tendency of a person to prevent the translation of repressed thoughts and ideas from the unconscious to the conscious and esp to resist the analyst's attempt to bring this about
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physics the magnitude of the real part of the acoustic or mechanical impedance
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the easiest, but not necessarily the best or most honourable, course of action
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A force, such as friction, that operates opposite the direction of motion of a body and tends to prevent or slow down the body's motion.
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A measure of the degree to which a substance impedes the flow of electric current induced by a voltage. Resistance is measured in ohms. Good conductors, such as copper, have low resistance. Good insulators, such as rubber, have high resistance. Resistance causes electrical energy to be dissipated as heat.
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See also Ohm's law
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The capacity of an organism, tissue, or cell to withstand the effects of a harmful physical or environmental agent, such as a microorganism or pollutant.
Other Word Forms
- interresistance noun
Etymology
Origin of resistance
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French; equivalent to resist + -ance
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.
That resistance complicates contemporary readings of his life.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Meghan Blanco, a former federal prosecutor and veteran defense attorney, suggested Gee’s inaction with Essayli might be a clever act of resistance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
They use a "flywheel exercise device," similar to a yo-yo, that can allow for aerobics like rowing as well as provide resistance to perform moves like weighted squats and deadlifts.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
This could be important for preventing or overcoming resistance, a common problem in cancer treatment.
From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026
But instead of the resistance I’d expected, the plastic dome pops off immediately.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions 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.
