Opposes or fights against something, or refuses to be affected by something.
From Latin 'resistere,' combining 're-' (back) and 'sistere' (to stand or place). It literally means 'to stand against' or 'push back against.'
The word's structure is fascinating: 'resists' uses 're-' meaning 'back' and 'sist' meaning 'stand,' so you're literally standing back against something. Physical resistance and mental resistance use the same word because they're fundamentally the same act!
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