to take up or go on with again after interruption; continue.
to resume a journey.
to take or occupy again.
to resume one's seat.
to take or assume use or practice of again.
to resume her maiden name.
to take back.
to resume the title to a property.
to go on or continue after interruption.
The dancing is about to resume.
to begin again.
a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job.
a summing up; summary.
to begin again or go on with (something adjourned or interrupted)
(tr) to occupy again, take back, or recover
to resume one's seat
to resume possession
(tr) to assume (a title, office, etc) again
to resume the presidency
archaic to summarize; make a résumé of
a short descriptive summary, as of events
another name for curriculum vitae
Some French words borrowed into English preserve foreign features, like accent marks: café , déjà vu , résumé , séance , etc. In French, accent marks serve two purposes. They can mark a different vowel quality (the vowels e , è and é are pronounced very differently), or they may distinguish two words that would otherwise be homographs ( ou without an accent means “or,” while où with an accent means “where”). When you use these words in English, it is correct to write them with the French accents or without; the spellings divorcée and divorcee are both accepted. Some people prefer including the accent for accuracy or to evoke a subtle European flavor. The inclusion or omission of an accent mark when naming an establishment cafe or café suggests a certain expectation for the style and tone of the place. Other people find any use of a foreign accent mark to be unnecessary and pretentious. Be aware of your audience when making this decision. As in the original French, accents are useful for differentiating between two homographs. English speakers are more likely to keep the accents in a word like résumé or exposé in order to avoid confusion with the verbs resume or expose . Words without confusable English counterparts, like deja vu or cafe , are less likely to maintain their accents in written English. Generally, the use of foreign accents for words borrowed into English is optional. However, if you do choose to use accented letters, be sure to use the correct accent and be consistent within the word. For example, déjà vu has an acute (rising) accent mark in the first syllable and a grave (falling) accent in the second. The word résumé has two acute accent marks. Avoid haphazard or false accent marking, as sometimes seen in the spellings dejá vu or resumé . The best rule to follow for foreign accent marks is all or nothing.
Spelling tips for resume There are two words that use the spelling resume, and they’re pronounced very differently, which can make things confusing. As a verb meaning “to continue,” resume is pronounced [ ri-zoom ], which can sound like it should be spelled rezoom. As a noun referring to a list of a person’s professional qualifications, resume is pronounced [ rez-oo-mey ]. To reflect this pronunciation, the noun is sometimes spelled in the French manner, with accent marks (résumé or resumé), but they are not required and it is better to avoid using them. How to spell resume: First, remember that you don’t need any accent marks to spell the noun resume. You can remember how to spell the middle part by remembering that a resume should include the sum of your professional accomplishments. Then just remember that the verb that means “to continue” is spelled the exact same way.
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English resumen, from Middle French resumer or directly from Latin resūmere “to take back, take again,” equivalent to re- “again, back” + sūmere “to take”; see re-, consume
First recorded in 1795–1805; from French résumé, noun use of past participle of résumer “to sum up”
If you resume something, you start it again after stopping. You might resume singing an aria after breaking to spit out your gum. Resume is from Latin resumere "to take up again, take back," from the prefix re- "again" plus sumere "to take up, take." The Latin verb sumere is formed from the prefix sub- "under, up" plus emere "to take." When you pause a movie or game and then you press play again, what you're really doing is resuming play.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But when your resume includes not only the Haskell but also the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness, sometimes close isn’t good enough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Events can only resume if there are no further lightning strikes for at least 30 minutes.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
China and Pakistan's foreign ministers called Friday for the US and Iran to stop fighting and resume talks, according to a statement following a meeting in Shanghai.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
When a threat is limited or occurs in a predictable way, wildlife may be more willing to relax and resume normal activities.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Without saying any more he took his seat, and the Professor began to resume his statement:—
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
They had spent millions on a high-profile coach with a glittering European résumé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Now the former top Republican official can add another distinction to his résumé: felon.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
Even unrelated, low-skill jobs on a résumé can be valuable for entry-level candidates, reflecting an eagerness to work hard and succeed, Shafransky told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
Most mega-producers likely would have balked at my less-than-robust résumé, but Ryan is someone who moves instinctively and decisively, and after our meeting, he offered me the chance to write the show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
I debated whether to even send in my résumé.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
The competition resumes later in the year for the autumn leg with England next in action against Australia on 8 November.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The board resumes meeting in August, giving it time to adopt a revised budget before an adviser would be named.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Williams has consistently said she has nothing left to prove as she resumes the tennis career from which she evolved away in 2022.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Trading in oil markets resumes at 6 p.m.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
Perry squeezes his knees, asks the detectives for aspirin, thanks Duntz for giving him one, chews it, and resumes talking.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
One woman in Iran told BBC Persian that she was "very, very saddened" when the fighting resumed.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Since hostilities resumed this month, the national average for gasoline has climbed back above $4 a gallon — the highest levels seen since it peaked above $4.50 a gallon in May.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Italian jockey only recently resumed riding a few weeks ago after missing five months because of a fall in January at Gulfstream Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
One reason: Shut-in crude oil production can be resumed quickly, but turning refining capacity back on takes longer, according to S&P Global’s Smith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Then, on the twenty-third, the men harnessed themselves to the boats again and resumed the backbreaking haul across the ice.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
The president’s proximity to Iran as hostilities were resuming was also a factor, the Journal reported at the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Contract talks with Pereira were paused last month although, at the time, both parties were committed to resuming discussions later in the year.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
But that offered only temporary relief, with the selloff resuming as risk appetite returned amid easing tensions in the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
“That dynamic likely keeps inflation risks elevated enough to leave the Fed on hold, pending clearer evidence that inflation is resuming its path lower.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
“We have bigger problems at hand,” Casimir Cybulskis said, resuming the discussion.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
