What does "resistance" mean?
The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
Resistance
/ɹɪˈzɪstəns/ noun
noun ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
- Grammar: resistance is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ohmic resistance, opposition, acquired immunity, active immunity.
- Useful contrasts: behavioral influence, consistent pull, extended reach thrust.
- Usage evidence: We are faced with the alternative of resistance or slavery.
How to use "resistance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "resistance" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "resistance" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "resistance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "resistance" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "resistance" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ohmic resistance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "resistance", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist. countable, uncountable
"[…]this Autority of his Perſon, doth notwithſtanding lay on us an Obligation, of keeping under his Obedience, and making no warlike Reſiſtance."
- 2 the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with wordnet
- 3 A force that tends to oppose motion. countable, uncountable
- 4 the military action of resisting the enemy's advance wordnet
- 5 Electrical resistance. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 group action in opposition to those in power wordnet
- 7 A resistor. countable, dated, uncountable
"In our study of simple electrical circuits, we have considered a single source of E.M.F. for each individual circuit but we have learned that any number of resistances may be connected in parallel […]"
- 8 an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current wordnet
- 9 An underground organisation engaged in a struggle for liberation from forceful occupation; a resistance movement. countable, uncountable
"Alliance forces are stretched too thin right now to attempt to liberate the colony, but we've been doing what we can to covertly aid the local resistance."
- 10 (psychiatry) an unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness wordnet
- 11 the degree of unresponsiveness of a disease-causing microorganism to antibiotics or other drugs (as in penicillin-resistant bacteria) wordnet
- 12 a secret group organized to overthrow a government or occupation force wordnet
- 13 any mechanical force that tends to retard or oppose motion wordnet
- 14 a material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms wordnet
- 15 the capacity of an organism to defend itself against harmful environmental agents wordnet
- 16 (medicine) the condition in which an organism can resist disease wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
behavioral influenceconsistent pullextended reach thrustheavy thrust
Example
"We are faced with the alternative of resistance or slavery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "resistance"?
Common synonyms include: ohmic resistance, opposition, acquired immunity, active immunity, alienation, antagonism.
How do you use "resistance" in a sentence?
We are faced with the alternative of resistance or slavery.
How do you pronounce "resistance"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈzɪstəns/.
Etymology
From earlier resistence, from Middle English resistence, from Old French resistence, from Latin resistentia. Morphologically resist + -ance.