resistance

noun re·sis·tance \ ri-ˈzi-stən(t)s \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: resistance in a Sentence

Definition of resistance

1 a : 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

4 a : 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

See resistance defined for English-language learners

See resistance defined for kids

Examples of resistance in a Sentence

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 of resistance from the Web

But in the face of growing resistance from the hotel industry and increasing concerns about the impact of its service on cities, Airbnb’s campaign of earnest hosts will not be enough to win over lawmakers.

— jessi hempel, WIRED, "Airbnb's Newest Weapon Against Regulation: The Real Estate Industry," 3 July 2018
The entire affair was over within 10 minutes, with little apparent resistance from guards.

— hallie detrick, Fortune, "That Dramatic Helicopter Prison Escape Was Inspired by the Man Who Brought You 'Miami Vice'," 3 July 2018
But over time, organisms with genes that conferred resistance to the pesticide began to thrive, rendering the compound less effective and prompting the use of a different one.

— james degregori, STAT, "Using the principles of evolution to treat and prevent cancer," 27 June 2018
The president's first choice was ultra-conservative Robert Bork, who faced withering resistance from Democratic senators, and was ultimately rejected.

— bill mears, Fox News, "Anthony Kennedy: Swing justice wielded quiet power in a range of high-profile cases," 27 June 2018
Trump himself has also pushed for a meeting with Putin despite resistance from senior political aides and diplomats.

— anton troianovski, Anchorage Daily News, "Bolton, Putin meet ahead of key summit with Trump, express hope for better ties," 27 June 2018
The tax was intended to raise money to ease Seattle’s homelessness problem, but met fierce resistance from Amazon, Starbucks and others with headquarters there.

— The Economist, "Business this week," 14 June 2018
But he and the Detroit Board of Education faced resistance from some in the community who objected to the mayor's involvement and the collaboration with charter schools.

— lori higgins, Detroit Free Press, "Time is now for parents to sign up for new northwest Detroit bus plan," 11 June 2018
In March, the project was met with resistance from a number of neighbors who expressed traffic concerns.

— evan frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Proposed senior living facility in Oconomowoc can move ahead," 11 June 2018

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.

First Known Use of resistance

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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resistance Synonyms

resistance

adjective

Definition of resistance

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

resistance training

First Known Use of resistance

1976

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Financial Definition of RESISTANCE

resistance

noun

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 Defined for English Language Learners

resistance

noun

Definition of resistance for English Language Learners

: 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

RESISTANCE Defined for Kids

resistance

noun re·sis·tance \ ri-ˈzi-stəns \

Definition of resistance for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

resistance

noun re·sis·tance \ ri-ˈzis-tən(t)s \

medical Definition of resistance

1 a : 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

2 a : 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