WordGarden.ioresultant
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪzˈʌltənt/
US
- /riˈzəltənt/
Meanings
Adjective
resulting from or produced by something else
describing a force, vector, or quantity produced by combining others
Noun
a force, vector, or quantity that represents the combined effect of others
Beyond the definition
Imagine two forces meeting—maybe wind pushing a sail or two pulls acting on the same object. Resultant describes the single effect that comes from that combination. It is the outcome produced when different causes work together. You might talk about a resultant increase in sales after a strong marketing campaign, or the resultant tension that followed a heated debate.
The word often appears in physics and mathematics, especially with vectors, where it names the single vector that shows the combined effect of two or more others. But it is not limited to science. In broader English, it can describe anything that follows from several causes acting together. Think of a recipe: the cake is the resultant of flour, sugar, eggs, and heat.
The word resultant describes something that comes out of a process, especially when several forces, actions, or conditions combine to produce one effect. It often points to a clear link between the contributing causes and the thing produced in the end.
You will often meet "resultant" in scientific and mathematical writing. In physics, for example, if two forces act on an object at different angles, the resultant force is the single force that has the same overall effect as those forces taken together. In the same way, a resultant velocity can describe the final direction and speed after different motions or influences, such as wind and engine power, are considered together.
Its use also extends beyond technical fields. In general English, it can describe an outcome that grows out of several causes rather than from one single event. A political alliance might bring a resultant shift in power, or a change in diet and sleep habits could lead to a resultant improvement in health.
The key idea is combination. A resultant effect is not just something that happens afterward; it is something produced by the interaction of what came before. A long negotiation, for instance, may end in a resultant agreement shaped by compromise from all sides.
So, if you want to emphasize that something is the outcome of several interacting factors, "resultant" is a useful word. It carries the sense of an effect, condition, or force that has been produced by combination.
Examples
- 1
Weather delays
Heavy rain blocked the roads, and the resultant delays lasted all morning.
- 2
Economic impact
The factory closed last year, with resultant job losses across the town.
- Usagewith resultant + noun
causing that result; formal
- 3
Physics
In physics, the resultant of the two forces points to the left.
- Domainin physics, the resultant of two forces
the single force you get when they combine
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- resultant effect
- resultant force
- resultant change
Word family
Explore
- cause and effect
- outcome
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- resultantnounadjective
Forms
- resultantspluralnounadjective