WordGarden.ioresistive
B1Pronunciation
UK
US
Meanings
Adjective
showing opposition or a tendency to resist
relating to electrical or physical resistance in a material or system
Beyond the definition
Imagine trying to push water through a narrow pipe filled with pebbles: the flow slows down because something is in the way. That is the basic idea of resistive. It describes something that resists flow, especially electric current or physical movement. A resistive material, such as the wire in a toaster or heater, does not let electricity pass through easily, so it creates heat. The word is most common in technical contexts, where the focus is on how strongly something opposes or slows a flow.
The word resistive describes the quality of offering resistance, especially to a flow, movement, or current. It is most often used in science, engineering, and other technical writing.
In electricity, resistive refers to a material's tendency to oppose the flow of electric current. Think of a lightbulb filament or the heating element in a toaster: it is designed to be resistive, so electrical energy is turned into heat, and sometimes light. In this context, a highly resistive material makes current pass less easily, while a material with low resistance lets current move through more freely.
The word can also be used more generally for anything that slows, blocks, or opposes movement. For example, engineers may talk about resistive forces in a system, or about a surface or material that is resistive to motion, heat transfer, or signal flow. In each case, the idea is the same: something is making passage harder.
In everyday English, however, this word is less common than related forms such as resistant or resistance. For people, groups, or attitudes, English usually prefers resistant rather than resistive. The core meaning of resistive stays centered on opposition to flow or movement, especially in technical or physical settings.
Examples
- 1
Electrical materials
Copper is used for wires because it is less resistive than many other metals.
- 2
Heating element
The heater uses a resistive element that glows red when current passes through it.
- 3
Touchscreens
This stylus works better on a resistive touchscreen than on a glass trackpad.
- Phraseresistive touchscreen
a screen that responds to pressure
See also
Similar
- ohmic
Shades of meaning
- dissipative
- impeding
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- resistive load
- resistive heating
- resistive element
Word family
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Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- resistiveadjective