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Synonyms

resourceful

American  
[ri-sawrs-fuhl, -sohrs-, -zawrs-, -zohrs-] / rɪˈsɔrs fəl, -ˈsoʊrs-, -ˈzɔrs-, -ˈzoʊrs- /

adjective

  1. able to deal skillfully and promptly with new situations, difficulties, etc.

    Synonyms:
    adroit, imaginative, able, talented

resourceful British  
/ rɪˈzɔːsfʊl, -ˈsɔːs- /

adjective

  1. ingenious, capable, and full of initiative, esp in dealing with difficult situations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of resourceful

First recorded in 1850–55; resource + -ful

Explanation

If you are interviewing employees for your new pet store, you may want to ask if they are resourceful. If they are, it means they are good at problem solving, and this could come in very handy. Think of resourceful people as “full of resources,” or tools for coming up with solutions. They adapt well to new or difficult situations and they are able to think creatively. For example, if a snake gets loose in the pet store, a resourceful person will be able to figure out how to lure it back into its cage again.

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Vocabulary lists containing resourceful

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.

Shoigu said the country’s “mobilization resource amounts to 25 million people, and a little more than 1 percent of this number falls under partial mobilization” as ordered by Putin.

From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2022

The resource amounts to 2,700 billion tons of freshwater, mostly less than about 3,250 feet deep, according to the paper published Monday in the influential Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

From Washington Post • Jun. 27, 2016

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