resume

1 of 2

verb

re·​sume ri-ˈzüm How to pronounce resume (audio)
resumed; resuming; resumes

transitive verb

1
: to assume or take again : reoccupy
resumed his seat by the fire …Thomas Hardy
When the break was over and I'd resumed my place on the stand, the teacher asked for a twenty-minute pose and gave me a stool.Elizabeth Hollander
2
: to return to or begin (something) again after interruption
She resumed her work.
When official mourning was over, Soviet television resumed its normal pace.Bel Kaufman
Her face was changing, resuming its usual expression of gleeful malice.Gail Carson Levine
3
: to take (something) back to oneself : reclaim
If Waukeshaw Development fails to meet the requirements in the agreement, the town can foreclose on the property and resume ownership.Shannon Keith
4
: to pick (something) up again : to go back to using or doing (something, such as a way of behaving)
resume an old habit
The very idea of resuming smoking is so loathsome that it drives the thought out of my head.A. M. Rosenthal
She soon got tired of him and banished him, resuming her way of living as a free spinster.George Bernard Shaw
After a quarter-century of creative silence, Goldschmidt resumed composing.Norman Lebrecht

intransitive verb

: to begin again after a pause or interruption
… emerged from the courthouse the day the trial resumedAmy Waldman

résumé

2 of 2

noun

ré·​su·​mé ˈre-zə-ˌmā How to pronounce résumé (audio)
ˌre-zə-ˈmā,
 also  ˈrā-zə-ˌmā,
 or  ˌrā-zə-ˈmā
variants or resume or less commonly resumé
plural résumés or resumes also resumés
1
US
a
: a short account of one's career and qualifications : curriculum vitae
For the internship, I submitted my résumé, work samples, and a cover letter.Tami Nguyen
… a 90-minute telephone interview with a personnel manager at Intel, who has forwarded the resume to the hiring manager …Hal Lancaster
b
: a set of accomplishments
a musical résumé
[Lucy] Liu's artistic resume is an impressive one; her website displays sculptural works in wood, resin, and bronze, as well as embroidery, silkscreen, assemblage, a Jasper Johns-style deconstructed American flag, and more.Emma Specter
2
formal : summary
He gave a resume of the club's activities throughout the year.Farming Life
… the business of the evening commenced with a resume of the events that had taken place over the summer.The Stourbridge (England) News

Examples of resume in a Sentence

Verb The game resumed after the rain stopped. After the rain stopped, the teams resumed play. She sat down and resumed her work. He shook his visitor's hand and resumed his seat. I resumed my place at the podium. She will be resuming her position at the company. Noun If you would like to be considered for the job, please submit your résumé. His musical résumé includes performances at Carnegie Hall, a stint with the New York Philharmonic, and two Grammys. a brief résumé of the news
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Efforts to complete the legislation to protect the Chinese state will enter their final stages Tuesday, when lawmakers meet to resume their debate of the draft law and possibly vote to pass it. TIME, 19 Mar. 2024 Following the 1976 releases of Timeless Fight and Love’s a Prima Donna, Harley spent much of the ‘80s raising his two children with his wife, and resumed touring and appeared in theater productions in later years. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Australia will resume funding to UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 This misconception leads many to remove their eclipse glasses, not realizing when the full intensity of the Sun will resume—a particularly risky behavior, according to Benner. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Hardy took to Instagram in November to announce that the film, billed as the final one in the series, had resumed production after taking a break due to last year’s actors strike. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Mudd went home, resumed his practice, and ran for office. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Production resumed last April at a film ranch in Montana, several months behind schedule, and concluded in May. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The first question is easy: Theodore Payne Foundation’s Wild Flower Hotline resumes on March 8, and updates every Friday into June. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Rahn, who interned at NASA with the Jacob’s Space Exploration Group, said that his interview there focused on his resume to determine his qualifications and the questions were more personality based. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Submit a resume, job application, writing sample and…a cover letter. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 Pope’s resume has over 35 years of experience and previous experience in the healthcare sector including Inova Health System, HonorHealth in Wellmont Health. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 On the morning of March 17, Curtis, whose resume includes a master’s degree in public health, may find a moment to rest her mind and body at Christ Cathedral Baptist Church, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 According to LinkedIn, Amber Baker is a lead creative manager with a background in video and tour production, and her resume includes generating and executing ideas for brands like McDonald’s and Balenciaga, along with artists like Gunna and Summer Walker. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Kody Tanimoto keeps adding big accomplishments to add to his resume. Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 And have a copy of your resume and cover letter easily accessible on your computer in case the interviewer doesn’t have it. William Arruda, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Kimbrough, a Vacaville native whose parents live in Woodland, has immense promise given his physical gifts and already-impressive resume. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'resume.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French resumer, from Latin resumere, from re- + sumere to take up, take — more at consume

Noun

French résumé, from past participle of résumer to resume, summarize, from Middle French resumer

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of resume was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near resume

Cite this Entry

“Resume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resume. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

resume

1 of 2 verb
re·​sume ri-ˈzüm How to pronounce resume (audio)
resumed; resuming
1
: to take again : occupy again
resume your seats
2
: to begin again or go back to
resumed the game the next day

résumé

2 of 2 noun
ré·​su·​mé
variants or resume also resumé
ˈrez-ə-ˌmā
1
: a brief statement : summary
a résumé of the news
2
: a short account of one's career and qualifications for a job

More from Merriam-Webster on resume

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