resistant

adjective re·sis·tant \ ri-ˈzi-stənt \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Examples: resistant in a Sentence

Definition of resistant

: giving, capable of, or exhibiting resistance —often used in combination

wrinkle-resistant clothes

a drug-resistant strain of virus

See resistant defined for English-language learners

See resistant defined for kids

Examples of resistant in a Sentence

These plants are resistant to cold temperatures.
He became resistant to the medication.

Recent Examples of resistant from the Web

With that cohort expanding and growing older, aging in place has become the rallying cry for those resistant to moving into senior housing or retirement villages in Florida or Arizona.

— robert weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "The hidden, high-tech world of communications at Fenway Park," 7 July 2018
There also was a request for a bulletproof vehicle with tires resistant to gunfire.

— evan halper, latimes.com, "Embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt resigns amid scandals," 5 July 2018
The researchers also found that several of the combinations were effective at treating bacteria that’s resistant to several other antibiotics, both in cell models and in studies on moths.

— megan thielking, STAT, "As drug resistance grows, combining antibiotics could turn up new treatments," 4 July 2018
Any expert on bureaucracy will tell you that governmental institutions are very resistant to being eliminated.

— julia azari, Vox, "How “abolish ICE” illustrates the importance of party politics," 2 July 2018
The outreach team provides assistance to adults with serious mental illness who are reluctant or resistant to receiving mental health services.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Did the 'system' fail mentally ill man who shot 2 San Diego police officers? Some think so," 1 July 2018
Others have objected that the military remains quietly resistant to civilian bidding.

— gary j. bass, New York Times, "Should We Worry About Trump’s Fawning Admiration of the Military?," 29 June 2018
Drugmakers generally do less research in infectious diseases, compared with other areas, and even in the areas for which there are vaccines, some strains, like last winter’s flu, can prove resistant to treatment.

— rebecca spalding, Bloomberg.com, "The DNA Cops Who Make Sure the World’s Deadliest Viruses Aren’t Rebuilt," 27 June 2018
Drugmakers generally do less research in infectious diseases, compared with other areas, and even in the areas for which there are vaccines, some strains, like last winter’s flu, can prove resistant to treatment.

— Fortune, "These DNA Cops Make Sure Deadly Viruses Don't Get Rebuilt," 27 June 2018

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

First Known Use of resistant

15th century

in the meaning defined above

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resistant

noun

Definition of resistant

: one that resists : resister

Recent Examples of resistant from the Web

Making human cells virus-resistant will involve at least 400,000 changes to the genome, according to GP-write’s announcement today.

— kelly servick, Science | AAAS, "Genome writing project aims to rally scientists around virus-proofing cells," 1 May 2018

First Known Use of resistant

1580

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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RESISTANT Defined for English Language Learners

resistant

adjective

Definition of resistant for English Language Learners

: opposed to something : wanting to prevent something from happening
: not affected or harmed by something

RESISTANT Defined for Kids

resistant

adjective re·sis·tant \ ri-ˈzis-tənt \

Definition of resistant for Students

: capable of withstanding the force or effect of

The material is fire-resistant.

Medical Dictionary

resistant

adjective re·sis·tant

variants: also resistent play \-tənt\

medical Definition of resistant

: giving, capable of, or exhibiting resistance —often used in combination

a drug-resistant strain of virus

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See words that rhyme with resistant Spanish Central: Translation of resistant Nglish: Translation of resistant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of resistant for Arabic speakers

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resistant

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RESISTANT Defined for English Language Learners

resistant

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Medical Dictionary

resistant

medical Definition of resistant

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