Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “resist” come from?

Resist comes from Middle English resisten, from Middle French resister, from Latin resistere, combining re- and sistere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning to stand.

resist (English): To attempt to counter the actions or effects of;...

Definitions

  1. To attempt to counter the actions or effects of;...

Ancestry of “resist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishresistenTo resist; to work against or counteract; To...
2Middle Frenchresisterto resist
3Latinresisterepresent active infinitive of resistō
4Latinsisteresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanstísteh₂tito be standing up, to be getting up
6Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “resist”

  • irresistible
  • resisting
  • irresistibly
  • resistivity
  • resistive
  • resistless
  • unresisting
  • photoresist
  • resister
  • unresistingly
  • resisteth
  • resistlessly
  • resistin
  • piezoresistive
  • resistible
  • magnetoresistive
  • resistively
  • unresistible
  • irresistibleness
  • resistiveness
  • resistlessness
  • nonresisting
  • resistingly
  • piezoresistivity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →