resource

Frequently Asked Questions About resource

How is the word resource different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of resource are expedient, makeshift, resort, shift, and stopgap. While all these words mean "something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply," resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources

a last resort

When can expedient be used instead of resource?

The synonyms expedient and resource are sometimes interchangeable, but expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

When could makeshift be used to replace resource?

The meanings of makeshift and resource largely overlap; however, makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

Where would shift be a reasonable alternative to resource?

While in some cases nearly identical to resource, shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

When is stopgap a more appropriate choice than resource?

Although the words stopgap and resource have much in common, stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap