resource

American  

[ree-sawrs, -sohrs, -zawrs, -zohrs, ri-sawrs, -sohrs, -zawrs, -zohrs] / ˈri sɔrs, -soʊrs, -zɔrs, -zoʊrs, rɪˈsɔrs, -ˈsoʊrs, -ˈzɔrs, -ˈzoʊrs /

noun

• resources
  plural

1. a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.

   Synonyms:

   service, help, assistance, support, aid

2. resources, the collective wealth of a country or its means of producing wealth.

3. Usually resources money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets.

   Synonyms:

   wealth, riches, deep pockets, property, money, funds, cash, capital

4. Often resources an available means afforded by the mind or one's personal capabilities.

   to have resource against loneliness.

5. an action or measure to which one may have recourse in an emergency; expedient.

   Synonyms:

   device, shift, resort, recourse, means, contrivance

6. capability in dealing with a situation or in meeting difficulties.

   a woman of resource.

   Synonyms:

   ingenuity, adaptability

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resource British  

/ -ˈsɔːs, rɪˈzɔːs /

noun

1. capability, ingenuity, and initiative; quick-wittedness

   a man of resource

2. (often plural) a source of economic wealth, esp of a country (mineral, land, labour, etc) or business enterprise (capital, equipment, personnel, etc)

3. a supply or source of aid or support; something resorted to in time of need

4. a means of doing something; expedient

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resourcelessness
  noun
• resourceless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• resources
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

resource resources

Baden said, for example, that Guttmacher Institute has an interactive abortion policy map, which is a popular resource for people to understand the laws in all 50 states.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

The difficulty and expense of the various alternatives increases “the attractiveness of a resource that’s already operating and producing clean energy around the clock,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Remote-piloted drones help to deliver supplies and evacuate the wounded, rescuing servicemen, Ukraine’s most valuable resource, but they remain labor intensive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Now, however, climate change has turned water into a scarce resource, requiring a shift in thinking, Schneider argued.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 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

While her sudden death at the age of 36 is nothing but tragic, I question the DEA’s involvement as a good use of federal resources.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

“We’re setting up a system where people of better financial resources can get physicians who can spend more time with them,” says Weisbart.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

For most of the 20th century, the federal government managed, and frequently mismanaged, the energy resources on tribal trust lands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The fulcrum of the owners’ position is the principle of “competitive balance,” meaning that every team should have comparable resources for mounting a playoff campaign.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Learning from its lessons in Peru, Haiti, and Russia, PIH works closely with governments and their agencies to minimize political misunderstandings and to deploy their complementary resources.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• ability
• capability
• capital
• means
• property
• reserve
• source
• support
• system
• talent
• wealth