# resistant

/ɹiˈzɪstənt/ (US) · /ɹɪsˈɪstənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/resistant
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not affected by something

adjective · CEFR B2

not easily damaged or affected by something like water, heat, or chemicals.

For teachers: having the ability to withstand the effects of a specific physical or chemical agent without being damaged or altered.

- This watch is water-resistant, so you can wear it while washing your hands.
- The new strain of bacteria proved highly resistant to standard antibiotics, forcing the medical team to explore alternative treatment protocols.

Usage: often followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 2. opposing change

adjective · CEFR B2

refusing to accept or agree with a new idea, plan, or change.

For teachers: offering opposition to a process, idea, or change; showing a psychological or social unwillingness to comply.

- Some older employees were resistant to the new computer system at first.
- The local community remained resistant to the proposed development, citing concerns over increased traffic and the loss of green space.

Usage: usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 3. not affected by outliers

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describes a result that does not change much even if there are a few very different numbers in a group.

For teachers: describing a statistical measure that is not significantly affected by outliers or extreme values in a sample.

- The median is a resistant measure because one very high number won't change it much.
- Statisticians prefer resistant estimators when dealing with datasets that may contain significant measurement errors or extreme outliers.

Usage: used primarily in the context of data analysis and statistics.

### 4. a person who resists

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

someone who fights against a government or an invading army, often in secret.

For teachers: a person who belongs to a resistance movement or actively opposes an established authority or occupying force.

- The young resistant risked his life to deliver secret messages during the war.
- Historical records identify several key resistants who coordinated the underground network during the final months of the occupation.

## Examples

- This new watch is resistant to water and scratches.
- The local bacteria have become increasingly resistant to common antibiotics over the last decade.
- The median is considered a resistant statistic because its value remains stable even if a few extreme outliers are introduced into the data set.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.