noun

resilience

ri-ZIL-ee-uhns/rɪˈzɪliəns/

The ability to return to an earlier form after stress.

The tree's resilience shows in fresh growth below its broken stem.

A small living tree with a storm-snapped main stem has produced a vigorous new leafy shoot below the break, making recovery after damage visible in one simple scene.

Etymology

reLatinback

+siliLatinto jump or leap

+enceEnglishstate or quality

The pieces evoke “leaping back.” Rebounding, including a material's return to shape after compression, supplies the image for recovering after stress, damage, or difficulty.

In context

TEDx Talks6:14

resilience is the capacity to adapt to negative change and recover from it as quickly as possible

What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte

More examples

Her resilience helps her recover from setbacks at work.
The town shows resilience as businesses reopen after the flood.
Repeated stretching tests the resilience of the rubber band.

Forms

resilience

resilient adjective — Able to recover after stress or hardship.

Similar words

elasticity: Elasticity specifically describes returning to shape after stretching or compression.
springiness: Springiness emphasizes a material’s quick, noticeable bounce back under pressure.