WordGarden.ioresilience
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪsˈɪliəns/
US
- /rɪˈzɪliəns/
Meanings
Noun
the ability to recover well from stress, difficulty, or change
the ability of a material or surface to spring back into shape after pressure or bending
the ability of a computer system or online service to keep working or recover quickly after failure
Beyond the definition
Resilience isn't about not falling down; it's about what happens after you fall. Think of a willow tree in a storm—it bends and sways, but doesn't break. That's resilience! It's the ability to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. We often talk about resilience when discussing people facing hardship, like someone overcoming a difficult childhood or bouncing back after losing their job. But even materials can be resilient—think of a rubber band stretching and returning to its original shape. Resilience isn't just strength; it's adaptability.
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties and keep going. It goes beyond simply enduring hardship—it means adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or major sources of stress. It's not a trait that people either have or don't have, but rather a set of skills and behaviors that can be learned and developed.
You might hear about resilience in psychology when discussing mental health: "She demonstrated remarkable resilience after the accident." But it extends far beyond personal struggles. Resilience is crucial for ecosystems—a forest's ability to recover from a fire is an example of ecological resilience. Businesses need resilience to survive economic downturns, and communities need it to rebuild after natural disasters.
The word comes from the Latin resilire, meaning "to jump back." Think of a spring compressing under pressure and then springing back into shape. That's the essence of resilience—not avoiding challenges, but having the inner strength and flexibility to navigate them and emerge stronger on the other side. It's about learning, growing, and finding ways to thrive despite life's inevitable setbacks. A resilient person doesn't deny pain or struggle; they acknowledge it, learn from it, and use it as fuel for growth.
Examples
- 1
Child development
Children often develop resilience when they have supportive adults around them.
- 2
Job loss
She showed real resilience after losing her job and starting over.
- 3
Sports comeback
The team's resilience was clear when they came back after an early goal.
- 4
Emotional health
Good sleep and exercise can help build emotional resilience.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Community hardship
The town showed remarkable resilience after the factory closed.
- 6
Creative work
Resilience in the face of criticism matters in creative work.
- Patternin the face of + difficulty
when dealing with something difficult
- 7
Technical systems
The new system was built for resilience, so one server failure does not shut everything down.
- 8
Agriculture
Some crops have greater resilience to drought than others.
- Patternresilience to + problem
ability to handle it without serious harm
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- resiliencenoun