resource
Americannoun
-
resources
plural
-
a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.
- Synonyms:
- service, help, assistance, support, aid
-
resources, the collective wealth of a country or its means of producing wealth.
-
Usually resources money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets.
-
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
-
capability, ingenuity, and initiative; quick-wittedness
a man of resource
-
(often plural) a source of economic wealth, esp of a country (mineral, land, labour, etc) or business enterprise (capital, equipment, personnel, etc)
-
a supply or source of aid or support; something resorted to in time of need
-
a means of doing something; expedient
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see resurge, source
Explanation
A resource is any personal talent or outside supply that can be tapped for help or support. Resource comes from an old French word meaning "relief" or "recovery," which certainly ties in with the idea of a resource being something that offers necessary aid. However, the word resource also refers to the natural resources available in and on our Earth — things that we are constantly drawing on and depleting, such as our trees, ores, and atmosphere. Once such a natural resource is used up, it’s usually gone forever, and is no longer a resource.
Vocabulary lists containing resource
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
“The transaction delivers on our clear stated growth strategy as we seek to diversify and grow our production and resource base and replicate our success in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf through disciplined international expansion.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
A Water UK spokesperson said they "desperately" wanted to supply the resource needed by data centres, but needed authorisation to invest ahead of demand.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
From John Sutter on to a “dress rehearsal” for a Confederate victory and through to resource magnates like Leland Stanford, readers will understand that a conflict between North and South also included the West.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The genomic resource could eventually contribute to human research involving ageing, immunity, and disease resistance.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
He didn’t mind going to the resource room, anyway.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“We want to avoid those conflicts by better understanding where they go, what resources they need and ideally help Riverside County take care of these populations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Crowds of teenagers marched from the Place de la République in Paris, calling for more resources for schools, and what they called less repression from police.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The U.S. push to devote more military resources to the Arctic is colliding with competing demands elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
These trained guides work with patients and healthcare teams to connect people with medical care, services, and other resources.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
A population’s inherent inclination to expand would be severely counterbalanced by the limitations of resources; its natural wont met by natural want.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
