resistance

[ri-zis-tuh ns] /rɪˈzɪs təns/
noun
1.
the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.
2.
the opposition offered by one thing, force, etc., to another.
3.
Electricity.
  1. Also called ohmic resistance. a property of a conductor by virtue of which the passage of current is opposed, causing electric energy to be transformed into heat: equal to the voltage across the conductor divided by the current flowing in the conductor: usually measured in ohms.
    Abbreviation: R.
  2. a conductor or coil offering such opposition; resistor.
4.
Psychiatry. opposition to an attempt to bring repressed thoughts or feelings into consciousness.
5.
(often initial capital letter) an underground organization composed of groups of private individuals working as an opposition force in a conquered country to overthrow the occupying power, usually by acts of sabotage, guerrilla warfare, etc.:
the resistance during the German occupation in World War II.
6.
Stock Exchange. resistance level.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English < Middle French. See resist, -ance
Related forms
interresistance, noun
Synonyms
1. opposition, obstinacy, defiance, intransigence.
Examples from the web for resistance
  • It is known by the name of the enamel droplet, and resembles keratin in its resistance to the action of mineral acids.
  • Yet some limitation there must be to this freedom, some resistance of the medium.
  • Generally the reaction against danger consists in a mixture of fear and resistance.
  • First, he will have to overcome some faculty resistance to his selection.
  • It dents easily because plywood doesn't have the same resistance as hardwood.
  • She'd be great for stoking the coals of a real resistance.
  • Every time some sort of technology comes into the world, there is resistance.
  • Beyond the need to cope with the deep-seated local resistance, the job requires uncommon stamina.
  • Made of environmentally friendly hemp and cotton that has been treated for water resistance.
  • Inbreeding reduces resistance to disease, and lowers reproductive success.
British Dictionary definitions for resistance

resistance

/rɪˈzɪstəns/
noun
1.
the act or an instance of resisting
2.
the capacity to withstand something, esp the body's natural capacity to withstand disease
3.
  1. the opposition to a flow of electric current through a circuit component, medium, or substance. It is the magnitude of the real part of the impedance and is measured in ohms R Compare reactance (sense 1)
  2. (as modifier): resistance coupling, a resistance thermometer
4.
any force that tends to retard or oppose motion: air resistance, wind resistance
5.
(in psychoanalytical theory) the tendency of a person to prevent the translation of repressed thoughts and ideas from the unconscious to the conscious and esp to resist the analyst's attempt to bring this about
6.
(physics) the magnitude of the real part of the acoustic or mechanical impedance
7.
line of least resistance, the easiest, but not necessarily the best or most honourable, course of action
8.
See passive resistance

Resistance

/rɪˈzɪstəns/
noun
1.
the Resistance, an illegal organization fighting for national liberty in a country under enemy occupation, esp in France during World War II
Word Origin and History for resistance
n.

mid-14c., from Old French resistance, earlier resistence, from Late Latin resistentia, from present participle stem of Latin resistere "make a stand against, oppose" (see resist). Meaning "organized covert opposition to an occupying or ruling power" [OED] is from 1939. Electromagnetic sense is from 1860. Path of least resistance is from 1825, originally a term in science and engineering.

resistance in Medicine

resistance re·sis·tance (rĭ-zĭs'təns)
n.

  1. The capacity of an organism to defend itself against a disease.

  2. The capacity of an organism, a tissue, or a cell to withstand the effects of a harmful physical or environmental agent.

  3. The opposition of a body or substance to current passing through it, resulting in a change of electrical energy into heat or another form of energy.

  4. In psychoanalysis, a process in which the ego opposes the conscious recall of repressed unpleasant experiences.

resistance in Science
resistance
  (rĭ-zĭs'təns)   

  1. A force, such as friction, that operates opposite the direction of motion of a body and tends to prevent or slow down the body's motion.

  2. A measure of the degree to which a substance impedes the flow of electric current induced by a voltage. Resistance is measured in ohms. Good conductors, such as copper, have low resistance. Good insulators, such as rubber, have high resistance. Resistance causes electrical energy to be dissipated as heat. See also Ohm's law.

  3. The capacity of an organism, tissue, or cell to withstand the effects of a harmful physical or environmental agent, such as a microorganism or pollutant.


resistance in Culture

resistance definition


In electricity, a measurement of the difficulty encountered by a power source in forcing electric current through an electrical circuit, and hence the amount of power dissipated in the circuit. Resistance is measured in ohms.

Idioms and Phrases with resistance

resistance

see: least resistance