Resistive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a material or component that opposes the flow of electric current, or showing reluctance to accept change or influence
2. Having the property to oppose electrical current or being unwilling to accept external influence or change
3. Characterized by the capacity to hinder electrical flow or to show reluctance toward alteration or persuasion

Etymology: "Resistive" is simply "resist" with the adjective-making ending "-ive" attached. The verb "resist" came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "resister," which traces back to Latin "resistere," meaning "to stand back" or "to make a stand against." That Latin verb combines "re-," "back" or "against," with "sistere," a form of "stare," "to stand," so the word's core image is a person planting their feet in opposition. The ending comes from Latin "-ivus," which passed through Old French "-if" and Middle English "-yf" before becoming "-ive." It turns a verb into an adjective describing a tendency or capacity, so "resistive" describes something that has the capacity to resist. The electrical sense, in which a material opposes the flow of current, is the adjective's more technical application, while the sense of being unwilling to yield to outside pressure reflects the older, everyday meaning of the verb.

Synonyms: resistant, oppositional, defensive, antagonistic, recalcitrant

Antonyms: compliant, submissive, yielding, docile, agreeable