resourceful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- resourcefully adverb
- resourcefulness noun
- self-resourceful adjective
- self-resourcefully adverb
- self-resourcefulness noun
- unresourceful adjective
- unresourcefully adverb
- unresourcefulness noun
Etymology
Origin of resourceful
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.
Vocabulary lists containing resourceful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Positive Adjectives to Describe People
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Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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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.
But teenagers are resourceful, Clark said, and can often circumvent those safeguards.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
He added: "We are inviting resourceful and enthusiastic people with the skills, creativity, and care needed to make a success of this unique opportunity."
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
The job of refining techniques of riding and roping — while modifying gear and apparel — largely fell to the resourceful vaqueros, from the Spanish word vaca for cow.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
The U.S. economy is driven by the extraordinarily resourceful, innovative, and hardworking private sector.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
But prisoners are resourceful and I was soon receiving secret notes and other communications from some of the ANC people there.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
