resilience

/ɹɪˈzɪl.ɪ.əns/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: resiliences

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The mental ability to recover quickly from depression, illness or misfortune.

Noun

Examples

Martin Seligman's impressive body of research showed that a pessimistic explanatory style carves a path to depression, while an optimistic explanatory style leads to resilience.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The physical property of material that can resume its shape after being stretched or deformed; elasticity.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “resilience” mean?

The mental ability to recover quickly from depression, illness or misfortune.

Is “resilience” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.