Using Resilience Outside of Physics

In physics, resilience is the ability of an elastic material (such as rubber or animal tissue) to absorb energy (such as from a blow) and release that energy as it springs back to its original shape. The recovery that occurs in this phenomenon can be viewed as analogous to a person's ability to bounce back after a jarring setback. The word resilience derives from the present participle of the Latin verb resilire, meaning "to jump back" or "to recoil." The base of resilire is salire, a verb meaning "to leap" that also pops up in the etymologies of such sprightly words as sally and somersault.

Examples of resilience in a Sentence

… the concert remained a remarkable tribute to Dylan's resilience and continued relevance. — Susan Richardson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994 He squeezed the rubber with a clamp and then released it—demonstrating with this painfully simple experiment that the material lost its resilience and therefore its ability to flex rapidly enough to protect the rocket joint from tumultuous hot gases. — James Gleick, New York Times Book Review, 13 Nov. 1988 With amazing resilience the two tribes pulled together and set out to found a new town farther up the river. — Carolyn Gilman, American Indian Art Magazine, Spring 1988 It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment. — Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897 The rescue workers showed remarkable resilience in dealing with the difficult conditions. Cold temperatures caused the material to lose resilience. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Their talks will touch on trade, increasing resilience in the global supply chain, growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program and the explosive spread of COVID-19 in that country. — Aamer Madhani And Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022 Turn learning into experimental play and help kids develop life skills like independence, resilience, and creativity. — Lori Magilton, Popular Mechanics, 18 May 2022 For example, the company supports regenerative agricultural practices that promote environmental, economic, and social recovery and long-term health, resilience, and adaptation. — Jon Chorley, Forbes, 17 May 2022 Their stories are full of bravery, resilience, and selflessness, and continue to inspire women and girls who follow the Christian faith. — Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 13 May 2022 Correspondent Elaine Quijano explores these immigrants' stories of resilience, reinvention and success, wrapped in a distinctive pink doughnut box. — CBS News, 6 May 2022 Laurel student Gabriella Espiritu ‘22, a South Euclid resident, received the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship in recognition of her hard work, resilience, and commitment to the field of computer science. — cleveland, 29 Apr. 2022 As the resilience of the Amazon rainforest—and the earth as a whole—hangs in the balance, these acts of resistance are more vital than ever. — Víctor Bastidas, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2022 Worry and fear showed up often in these images, but so did inspiring quantities of resilience, hope, and creative spirit. — Laura Bliss, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'resilience.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.