Meanings
plural resiliences
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe mental ability to recover quickly from depression, illness or misfortune.
Martin Seligman's impressive body of research showed that a pessimistic explanatory style carves a path to depression, while an optimistic explanatory style leads to resilience.
2021, Lisa Miller, The Awakened Brain, Ch.2, at p.36 - countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe physical property of material that can resume its shape after being stretched or deformed; elasticity.
Synonyms: give
- countableuncountableThe positive capacity of an organizational system or company to adapt and return to equilibrium after a crisis, failure or any kind of disruption, including: an outage, natural disasters, man-made disasters, terrorism, or similar (particularly IT systems, archives).
Network Rail previously said it is determined to build upon the "significant changes" it has made since the accident, which have "helped us to manage the risk of severe weather to the network". It has invested millions to improve the resilience of the railway.
2023 October 18, “Network News: Carmont: NR pays nearly £1m in out-of-court settlements”, in RAIL, number 994, page 15Antonyms: fragility, brittleness
- countableuncountableliteral or figurativeThe capacity to resist destruction or defeat, especially when under extreme pressure.
Antonyms: fragility, brittleness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe physical property of material that can resume its shape after being stretched or deformed; elasticity.
nounThe positive capacity of an organizational system or company to adapt and return to equilibrium after a crisis, failure or any kind of disruption, including: an outage, natural disasters, man-made disasters, terrorism, or similar (particularly IT systems, archives).
nounThe capacity to resist destruction or defeat, especially when under extreme pressure.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Latinsaliō
- Latinresiliō
- Englishresilience
From Latin resiliō (“to spring back”) + English -ence.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans veerkragtigheid, veerkragtigheid
- veerkragtigheidmental ability
- veerkragtigheidability of a system or company to recover
- veerkragtigheidphysical property of material
Arabic القدرة على التعافي بعد الصدمة
- القدرة على التعافي بعد الصدمةability of a system or company to recover
Bulgarian гъвкавост, еластичност
- гъвкавост (găvkavost)physical property of material
- еластичност (elastičnost)physical property of material
Catalan resiliència, resiliència
- resiliènciamental ability
- resiliènciaability of a system or company to recover
- resiliènciaphysical property of material
Chinese Mandarin 弹性, 韧性
- 弹性 (tánxìng)mental ability
- 韧性 (rènxìng)mental ability
Danish modstandsdygtighed
- modstandsdygtighedmental ability
Dutch veerkracht, herstellingsvermogen
- veerkrachtmental ability
- herstellingsvermogenmental ability
- veerkrachtability of a system or company to recover
- veerkrachtphysical property of material
Finnish toipumiskyky, lannistumattomuus
- toipumiskykymental ability
- lannistumattomuusmental ability
- sitkeysmental ability
- resilienssimental ability
- toipumiskykyability of a system or company to recover
- resilienssiability of a system or company to recover
- palautuvuusphysical property of material
- kimmoisuusphysical property of material
- elastisuusphysical property of material
French résilience, résilience
- résiliencemental ability
- résiliencephysical property of material
German Resilienz, Belastbarkeit
- Resilienzmental ability
- Belastbarkeitmental ability
- Widerstandsfähigkeitmental ability
- Resilienzability of a system or company to recover
- Elastizitätphysical property of material
- elastisches Verformungsarbeitsaufnahmevermögenphysical property of material
Greek ψυχολογική αντοχή, ανθεκτικότητα
- ψυχολογική αντοχή (psychologikí antochí)mental ability
- ανθεκτικότητα (anthektikótita)mental ability
- ανακαμψιμότητα (anakampsimótita)ability of a system or company to recover
- επανατακτικότητα (epanataktikótita)physical property of material
- επαναπροσαρμοστικότητα (epanaprosarmostikótita)physical property of material
- ελαστικότητα (elastikótita)physical property of material
Hungarian ellenálló képesség, stressztűrő képesség
- ellenálló képességmental ability
- stressztűrő képességmental ability
- stressztűrésability of a system or company to recover
- terhelhetőségability of a system or company to recover
- stressztűrésphysical property of material
- rugalmasságphysical property of material
Indonesian resiliensi, daya pulih
- resiliensimental ability
- daya pulihmental ability
- daya bingkasmental ability
- daya lentingphysical property of material
Italian resilienza, determinazione
- resilienzamental ability
- determinazioneability of a system or company to recover
- tenaciaability of a system or company to recover
- resilienzaphysical property of material
- elasticitàphysical property of material
Korean 탄성
- 탄성 (tanseong)physical property of material
Norwegian motstandsdyktighet
- motstandsdyktighetmental ability
Polish odporność, odporność
- odpornośćmental ability
- odpornośćability of a system or company to recover
- sprężystośćphysical property of material
Portuguese resiliência, resiliência
- resiliênciamental ability
- resiliênciaphysical property of material
Romanian reziliență
- reziliențăphysical property of material
Russian психологи́ческая усто́йчивость, усто́йчивость
- психологи́ческая усто́йчивость (psixologíčeskaja ustójčivostʹ)mental ability
- усто́йчивость (ustójčivostʹ)ability of a system or company to recover
- запа́с про́чности (zapás próčnosti)ability of a system or company to recover
- упру́гость (uprúgostʹ)physical property of material
- ги́бкость (gíbkostʹ)physical property of material
- эласти́чность (elastíčnostʹ)physical property of material
Spanish resiliencia, resiliencia
- resilienciamental ability
- resilienciaphysical property of material
- elasticidadphysical property of material
Swedish elasticitet
- elasticitetphysical property of material
Tagalog manhid
- manhidmental ability
Thai สภาพยืดหยุ่น
- สภาพยืดหยุ่น (sà-pâap-yʉ̂ʉt-yùn)physical property of material
Turkish çabuk iyileşme özelliği, elastikiyet
- çabuk iyileşme özelliğimental ability
- elastikiyetphysical property of material
- elastiklikphysical property of material
- rezilyansphysical property of material
- yaylanmaphysical property of material
- dayanıklılıkphysical property of material
Ukrainian сті́йкість
- сті́йкість (stíjkistʹ)ability of a system or company to recover
Vietnamese tính chống chịu
- tính chống chịuability of a system or company to recover
Cite this entry
resilience. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilience
“resilience.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilience. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “resilience,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilience.
Source: resilience on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.