✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

resiliency

noun

re·​sil·​ien·​cy ri-ˈzil-yən(t)-sē How to pronounce resiliency (audio)
plural resiliencies
1
: the ability of something to return to its original size and shape after being compressed or deformed : resilience sense 1
Most of these rollers have to be replaced every few years when the rubber loses its resiliency.Steve Rosenthal
Upholstery consisted of lightweight leather cushions; frequently there were springs beneath the cushions for added resiliency.Daniel M. Mendelowitz
2
: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change : resilience sense 2
… the resiliency of nature and humans in the wake of fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other destructive forces.Richard K. Snow et al.
The Brewers have shown a resiliency through the season's ups and downs …Associated Press
The project's goal is to develop … cultivars with certain traits; for example, better climate resiliency and better tolerance for low water and low fertilizer conditions.Julie Chao

Examples of resiliency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The resiliency project is slated for completion in 2031. Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025 Inflation and structural costs are likely to rise as countries and companies pivot from pure efficiency toward security, resiliency, and redundancy. David Austin, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025 But there’s a benefit to cultural burns that the tree rings reveal — greater climate resiliency. Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025 The moral of If Beale Street Could Talk is that no matter what systems try to break love, its resiliency is undeniable. Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for resiliency

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of resiliency was in 1712

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Resiliency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resiliency. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

resiliency

noun
re·​sil·​ien·​cy ri-ˈzil-yən-sē How to pronounce resiliency (audio)

Medical Definition

resiliency

noun
re·​sil·​ien·​cy ri-ˈzil-yən-sē How to pronounce resiliency (audio)
plural resiliencies

More from Merriam-Webster on resiliency

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!