Definition of resistance
1a : an act or instance of resisting : oppositionb : a means of resisting
2 : the power or capacity to resist: such asa : 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 currentb : 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
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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
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With vocabulary and organization, anti-radical Muslims can leverage the resistance to radicalism that already exists, and turn it into something visible, meaningful, and effective.
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That may reflect both doubts about Trump’s performance and resistance to the GOP plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which appeared to hit another dead end in the Senate this week.
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During a Senate lunch, when McConnell broached voting Wednesday on a bill that would simply repeal Obamacare, he was met with resistance …
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The radius of where the bullet came from varies, depending on the angle it was shot and the type of firearm used, as well as other factors such as weather and air resistance, Steele said.
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And while a similar piece of legislation has met greater resistance in the House, the issue is far from resolved.
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Throughout the Bay Area, and the country, there’s still significant resistance to building housing in many expensive communities.
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Are people still taking pride in a country rippling with waves of anger and resistance, riven by resentments and bitterly divided over issues like health care and immigration?
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On the contrary, resistance training may actually reduce arterial stiffness.
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
resistance
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
Financial Definition of RESISTANCE
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.
RESISTANCE Defined for English Language Learners
resistance
playDefinition of resistance for English Language Learners
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: refusal to accept something new or different
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: effort made to stop or to fight against someone or something
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: the ability to prevent something from having an effect
RESISTANCE Defined for Kids
resistance
playDefinition 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
playMedical 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 currentb: 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
Learn More about resistance
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for resistance Spanish Central: Translation of resistance Nglish: Translation of resistance for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of resistance for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about resistance
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