Showing opposition to or refusal to accept something; not affected or harmed by a particular thing.
From Latin resistere meaning 'to stand back' or 'withstand', from re- 'back' + sistere 'to place' or 'cause to stand'. The word evolved from physical opposition to broader concepts of immunity and refusal.
The Latin roots reveal that resistance is fundamentally about 'standing back' - it's not passive but an active positioning against force. Whether describing antibiotic resistance or political resistance, the core idea remains the same: taking a stand against pressure.
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