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.
For a filmmaker fascinated by the slippery workings of memory, the combination is a natural fit: Before Odysseus can resume his journey, he has to remember that he wants to go home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
He said Tehran would resume "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes continue for another two or three days.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Events can only resume if there are no further lightning strikes for at least 30 minutes.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Oil futures ended lower in an indecisive session with the market awaiting clarity on whether the U.S. steps up its strikes on Iran or the sides look to resume talks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Khrushchev vowed the Soviets would not be the first ones to resume testing—then waved away the idea of a treaty.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
But what really made Platner appealing to Moraff and Fan didn’t have anything to do with the kind of person he was or what was, or wasn’t, on his résumé.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
In the audio clip from the performance, we hear Deputy Chief Investigator John Goldman explaining to Weist that he is essentially constructing a résumé from her answers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
They had spent millions on a high-profile coach with a glittering European résumé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 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
You’ve seen my résumé and think I have the necessary credentials.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Having a killer cover letter used to be the way to stand out from other applicants with similar resumes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 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
The inquest, once it resumes, is expected to last five days.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The price of oil has fallen to levels not seen since before the Iran war as traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route gradually resumes.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The words I’m afraid to see their resumes float above the attendant’s head.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
The court heard Oldham Safeguarding Children's Partnership, had resumed a review into Preston's death, following its suspension for the criminal trial to take place.
From BBC ● 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
Asian stocks gained Wednesday as markets dialed back U.S. rate-hike expectations following an unexpectedly upbeat inflation print, while oil rose after the U.S. resumed its blockade of Iranian ports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Yet fighting resumed this week over control of the key strait of Hormuz, pushing oil prices higher.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
He rolled his eyes and resumed looking through the stack, which made me feel worse.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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
In some recent quarters, stocks rallied into the end of the quarter, then paused while investors waited for results before resuming their climb.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Strategy, a Bitcoin treasury company, is set to disclose new crypto transactions after resuming Bitcoin purchases last week.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Oil prices extended falls on signs that shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz is gradually resuming, with international authorities reporting improved safety conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
When Bull had finished throwing up, Ben thought about resuming the chant, but did not.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
