resistance

noun

re·sis·tance | \ ri-ˈzi-stən(t)s

Definition of resistance

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an act or instance of resisting : opposition

b : a means of resisting

2 : the power or capacity to resist: such as

a : the inherent ability of an organism to resist harmful influences (such as disease, toxic agents, or infection)

b : the capacity of a species or strain of microorganism to survive exposure to a toxic agent (such as a drug) formerly effective against it

3 : an opposing or retarding force

4a : the opposition offered by a body or substance to the passage through it of a steady electric current

b : a source of resistance

5 : a psychological defense mechanism wherein a patient rejects, denies, or otherwise opposes the therapeutic efforts of a psychotherapist

6 often capitalized : an underground organization of a conquered or nearly conquered country engaging in sabotage and secret operations against occupation forces and collaborators

resistance

adjective

Definition of resistance (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, or being exercise involving pushing or pulling against a source of resistance (such as a weight) to increase strength resistance training

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Synonyms & Antonyms for resistance

Synonyms: Noun

defiance, opposition

Antonyms: Noun

acquiescence

Examples of resistance in a Sentence

Noun

They have shown a stubborn resistance to change. The troops met heavy resistance as they approached the city. The paint shows good weather resistance. Over time the patient could develop a resistance to the drug.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

According to the Ohio History Central, the protest came after days of intense anti-war resistance on the Kent State campus. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "6 Legendary Vietnam-Era Anti-War Movement Protests Everyone Should Know," 3 May 2019 So Shirley, a women’s economic development expert, started a local chapter of Indivisible, an anti-Trump resistance group, and began organizing protests and rallies. — Rebecca Nelson, Marie Claire, "Party Crashers: These Female Candidates Are Shaking Up The Midterms," 2 Nov. 2018 Moss plays Offred, the title character, whose resistance to the new world order is the show’s central conflict. — Alina Cho, Marie Claire, "Women of the Hour: Thandie Newton, Elisabeth Moss, and Sandra Oh," 5 Apr. 2019 Water resistance: The All-new Kindle is not water-resistant, while the Kindle Paperwhite is IPX8-rated to survive in two meters of water for up to an hour at a time. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "Amazon's All-new Kindle for $89.99 is priced for budget users," 20 Mar. 2019 Tesla's plan to shutter most of its physical stores was met with resistance, most notably from landlords. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Tesla Is Keeping Its Stores Open, But Increasing Prices To Do It," 11 Mar. 2019 But even in swinging London there are bastions of resistance, like the closed drawing rooms of the traditional gentlemen’s clubs, for those who enjoy reading the Daily Telegraph while taking their morning tea. — Janine Di Giovanni, Town & Country, "Is Brexit Ruining London Dinner Parties?," 25 Feb. 2019 There were think pieces about her multinational heritage (her mother, who is Japanese, and her father, who is Haitian-born, married in the face of resistance—biracial relationships were, and still are, rare in Japan). — Louisa Thomas, Vogue, "The New Number One: Naomi Osaka Is Playing to Win," 21 Mar. 2019 In the past, a woman wearing non-feminine clothing usually meant something: a symbol of resistance during the French Revolution; a challenge to the patriarchy for early-20th-century suffragettes; a bid for workplace inclusion in the 1970s and ’80s. — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Who Needs Gender? Why Men and Women Are Dressing Identically," 21 Feb. 2019

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

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Last Updated

13 May 2019

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More Definitions for resistance

resistance

noun

Financial Definition of resistance

What It Is

In technical trading analysis, resistance is an upper limit in a price channel in which a security’s price tends to stay.

How It Works

Price channels can slope up (indicating bullish sentiment) or down (indicating bearish sentiment); they don’t have to simply go “sideways.” The important geometric characteristic is that the resistance lines and support lines (the opposite of the resistance) are parallel, as shown in this price channel for ChevronTexaco (CVX). The channel lines themselves are often based on multiday moving averages or logarithmic scales that reflect price movements in percentage terms. However, technical trading is as much an art as it is a science, and so one technical trader’s price channel might be different from another’s.

When a stock’s price touches the resistance, this may signal a trend change, which is why resistance levels are very important to technical traders.

Why It Matters

Price channels help tip traders off about trend changes in a stock or “unusual” activity when the price goes above or below the price channel lines (we call this a breakout). For example, a technical trader might sell when a stock hits resistance on a downward-sloping channel.

Source: Investing Answers

resistance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of resistance

: refusal to accept something new or different

: effort made to stop or to fight against someone or something

: the ability to prevent something from having an effect

See the full definition for resistance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

resistance

noun

re·sis·tance | \ ri-ˈzi-stəns

Kids Definition of resistance

1 : an act or instance of opposing

2 : the ability to withstand the force or effect of resistance to disease

3 : an opposing or slowing force The car's sleek design reduces wind resistance.

4 : the opposition offered by a substance to the passage through it of an electric current

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resistance

noun

re·sis·tance | \ ri-ˈzis-tən(t)s

Medical Definition of resistance

1a : power or capacity to resist especially : the inherent ability of an organism to resist harmful influences (as disease, toxic agents, or infection)

b : the capacity of a species or strain of microorganism to survive exposure to a toxic agent (as a drug) formerly effective against it due to genetic mutation and selection for and accumulation of genes conferring protection from the agent especially as a result of overuse of the agent which selectively destroys individual microorganisms lacking the protective genes

2a : the opposition offered by a body to the passage through it of a steady electric current

b : opposition or impediment to the flow of a fluid (as blood or respiratory gases) through one or more passages — see vascular resistance

3 : a psychological defense mechanism wherein a psychoanalysis patient rejects, denies, or otherwise opposes therapeutic efforts by the analyst