1. The physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit: Mrs. Evans was told that the clothes she was buying were made with nylon and were great for wearability and resilience.
2. Elasticity; the ability of matter to snap back quickly into shape after being bent, stretched, or deformed: Even the resilience of rubber tires can be decreased by very cold temperatures.
3. The ability of a person to recover, or to rebound, quickly from a setback: Despite Floyd's serious illness, his resilience when he returned to his job was considered amazing by his fellow workers.
4. Etymology: from Latin resiliens, resilire, "to rebound, to recoil"; from re- "back" + salire, "to jump, to leap".