Resistance

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈzɪstəns/

Definitions

1. The act of opposing, withstanding, or refusing to comply with something, or the ability to remain unaffected by a force or influence
2. The quality of opposing or refusing to accept something, or the capacity to withstand or remain unaffected by a force or influence
3. Opposition to or refusal of compliance with something, combined with the ability to endure or be unharmed by external pressure or effect

Etymology: The most striking thing about "resistance" is how much of its history is in the sense of standing firm rather than in the sense of pushing back. The Latin "resistentia" came from "resistere", meaning "to stand back against" or "to withstand", built from "re-" (back, against) and "sistere" (to stand, to make stand). So at its root the idea is one of planting yourself in the way of something, which is why the word could later describe both a refusal to yield and a body's capacity to endure a force without giving way. The word reached English through Middle English "resistence", which came from Old French "resistence". The English form was spelled "resistence" for a long time before the modern "-ance" ending settled in. Its formation is straightforward: the verb "resist" with the noun-forming suffix "-ance", which turns an action into a state or quality of acting that way.

Synonyms: opposition, resistiveness, defiance, withstanding, endurance

Antonyms: acceptance, compliance, yielding, submission, surrender