Word of the day · 28 August 2026
resilient
/rɪˈzɪliənt/
adjective
Able to recover quickly from difficulty, pressure or change.
In a sentence
- A resilient supply chain rerouted shipments within days.
- She proved resilient after the layoff and rebuilt her practice.
- Coastal towns need resilient defenses against stronger storms.
In an image
Origin
From Latin resiliens, present participle of resilire (to leap back).
History
The word first described elastic materials that spring back into shape. By the 1800s and 1900s it moved into talk about people and communities under stress. Psychology and public policy later made resilience a key idea in recovery after trauma or disaster. Careful speakers still keep the root image: return after strain, not denial of harm.
Nearby words
hardy · adaptable · buoyant
Bounce-back strength in people, materials and plans.