resource
Americannoun
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a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.
- Synonyms:
- service, help, assistance, support, aid
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resources, the collective wealth of a country or its means of producing wealth.
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Usually resources money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets.
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Often resources an available means afforded by the mind or one's personal capabilities.
to have resource against loneliness.
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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
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capability, ingenuity, and initiative; quick-wittedness
a man of resource
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(often plural) a source of economic wealth, esp of a country (mineral, land, labour, etc) or business enterprise (capital, equipment, personnel, etc)
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a supply or source of aid or support; something resorted to in time of need
-
a means of doing something; expedient
Other Word Forms
- resourceless adjective
- resourcelessness noun
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”; resurge, source
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 findings confirmed that even compact tools were sufficient to meet key objectives, including identifying rocks important for astrobiology and resource exploration.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
Jet fuel for air forces, too, has become a scarce resource, with the government under pressure to keep stocks for the national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, an engine of the economy and Africa’s largest airline.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Before the conflict in Iran broke out, the Middle East was a reliable source of another important resource: cash.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation in March launched a dedicated resource hub for its security-upgrade efforts.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
His eyes are red and puffy—I bet he cried—and his clothes are dirty, but other than that, he looks like the same boy from the resource room.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
