Resiliency vs. Resilience: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Resiliency and Resilience both refer to the ability to recover from difficulties, but "resiliency" is more commonly used in technical or scientific contexts, while "resilience" is more general and widely used.
Key Differences
Resiliency, often seen in scientific and technical literature, implies an object's or system's ability to return to its original state after being stressed or disturbed. Resilience, in contrast, is more broadly used across various contexts, including psychology, ecology, and everyday language, referring to the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, whether it be personal, environmental, or societal.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 29, 2023
When discussing resiliency, the focus is generally on the physical or structural aspect of bouncing back, such as materials returning to form after compression. In the case of resilience, the term encompasses a wider spectrum, often implying emotional or mental fortitude in addition to physical endurance, as seen in discussions about personal growth following challenges.
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Nov 29, 2023
In engineering and material sciences, resiliency is a measurable property, quantifying how effectively a material can resume its original shape after deformation. Resilience, however, transcends these measurable aspects, often used in a more metaphorical sense to describe qualities like adaptability, strength, and recovery in individuals, communities, or ecosystems.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 29, 2023
The usage of resiliency is more niche and specific, primarily confined to contexts where precision is needed, such as technical fields. Resilience, on the other hand, is a versatile term, employed in everyday language, self-help literature, psychology, and more, often used to inspire or describe overcoming adversity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 29, 2023
In summary, resiliency and resilience share a common root in describing the ability to recover, but resiliency leans towards a more technical usage, emphasizing physical recovery or return to a previous state, while resilience is a broader, more universally applied term that encompasses psychological, emotional, and physical aspects of recovery and adaptability.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 29, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Primary Usage
Technical and scientific contexts
General and widespread usage
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Nov 29, 2023
Focus
Physical or structural recovery
Emotional, mental, and physical recovery
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Nov 29, 2023
Context
Engineering, material science
Psychology, personal development, ecology
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Common Associations
Material properties, systems
Personal growth, adaptability, strength
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Resiliency and Resilience Definitions
Resiliency
Resiliency is the characteristic of an ecosystem to maintain its functions and processes despite environmental stress.
The wetland's resiliency helps it absorb pollutants and protect the coastline.
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Resilience
In personal development, resilience embodies the qualities of flexibility, perseverance, and endurance.
His resilience in pursuing his goals was unwavering.
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Resiliency
In psychology, resiliency can describe an individual's quick recovery from psychological stress.
Her emotional resiliency helped her overcome the trauma and thrive.
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Nov 29, 2023
Resilience
In psychology, resilience refers to the ability to bounce back from emotional or mental strain.
Her resilience after the loss showed her inner strength.
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Nov 29, 2023
Resiliency
Resiliency is the ability of an organization or community to adapt to changes or recover from setbacks.
The company's resiliency was evident in its rapid adaptation to new market trends.
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Resilience
Resilience in ecology represents the ability of an ecosystem to resist or recover from disturbances.
The forest's resilience to the wildfire was remarkable.
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Resiliency
Resiliency refers to the capacity of a material or system to return to its original shape or state after being stressed.
The resiliency of memory foam allows it to contour to the body and then return to its original shape.
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Nov 29, 2023
Resilience
Resilience is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties.
His resilience in the face of adversity inspired everyone around him.
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Nov 29, 2023
Resiliency
In technology, resiliency denotes the ability of a system to handle and recover from faults or disruptions.
The network's resiliency ensured uninterrupted service during the power outage.
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Nov 29, 2023
Resilience
Resilience is often used to describe the adaptability and strength of individuals or groups in overcoming challenges.
The community showed resilience in rebuilding after the flood.
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Resilience
The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune; buoyancy.
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The property of a material that enables it to resume its original shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.
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Resilience
The mental ability to recover quickly from depression, illness or misfortune.
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Resiliency
The physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
(physics) The physical property of material that can resume its shape after being stretched or deformed; elasticity.
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The positive capacity of an organizational system or company to adapt and return to equilibrium after a crisis, failure or any kind of disruption, including: an outage, natural disasters, man-made disasters, terrorism, or similar (particularly IT systems, archives).
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The capacity to resist destruction or defeat, especially when under extreme pressure.
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Resilience
The act of springing back, rebounding, or resiling; as, the resilience of a ball or of sound.
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The power or inherent property of returning to the form from which a substance is bent, stretched, compressed, or twisted; elasticity[1]; springiness; - of objects and substances.
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The power or ability to recover quickly from a setback, depression, illness, overwork or other adversity; buoyancy; elasticity[2]; - of people.
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Resilience
The mechanical work required to strain an elastic body, as a deflected beam, stretched spring, etc., to the elastic limit; also, the work performed by the body in recovering from such strain.
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Oct 19, 2023
Resilience
The physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit
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Oct 19, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Does resilience only apply to individuals?
No, resilience can apply to individuals, communities, organizations, and ecosystems.
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Nov 29, 2023
What does resilience mean?
Resilience refers to the ability to quickly recover from difficulties, encompassing emotional, mental, and physical aspects.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can resilience be learned or developed?
Yes, resilience can be developed through various practices like mindfulness, positive thinking, and learning from past experiences.
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Nov 29, 2023
How do you measure resiliency in materials?
Resiliency in materials is measured by their ability to return to their original form after deformation.
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Nov 29, 2023
Is resiliency a psychological term?
While resiliency can be used in psychology, it's more common in technical or scientific contexts.
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Nov 29, 2023
What role does resilience play in mental health?
Resilience is crucial in mental health, aiding in recovery and coping with stress or trauma.
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Nov 29, 2023
How is resiliency used in technology?
In technology, resiliency describes a system's capability to handle and recover from faults or disruptions.
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Nov 29, 2023
Are resiliency and resilience interchangeable?
They can be in some contexts, but resiliency is often more specific to technical or physical recovery.
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Nov 29, 2023
What is an example of resiliency in nature?
An example is a forest recovering its original state after a fire.
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Nov 29, 2023
What is resiliency?
Resiliency is the ability of a material, system, or organism to return to its original state after being stressed or disturbed.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can resilience be a group characteristic?
Yes, groups or communities can exhibit resilience in facing and overcoming collective challenges.
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Nov 29, 2023
Is resiliency always positive?
Mostly, but excessive resiliency without adaptability can sometimes be counterproductive.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can resilience be taught in schools?
Yes, schools can teach resilience by encouraging coping strategies and positive thinking.
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Does resilience involve emotional recovery?
Yes, resilience includes emotional recovery and adaptability.
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Nov 29, 2023
How do resiliency and resilience differ in their application?
Resiliency is often more technical or physical, while resilience is broader, including psychological and emotional aspects.
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Nov 29, 2023
What is a real-world example of resilience?
A person overcoming personal loss and continuing to pursue life goals is an example.
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Nov 29, 2023
Is resiliency a common term in engineering?
Yes, in engineering, resiliency refers to the durability and recovery ability of materials and systems.
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Nov 29, 2023
How does resilience relate to personal growth?
Resilience is key to personal growth, as it involves overcoming obstacles and learning from challenges.
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Nov 29, 2023
How do organizations show resiliency?
Organizations show resiliency through adaptability and recovery from market shifts or internal challenges.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can an ecosystem be resilient?
Yes, ecosystems can be resilient by maintaining their functions despite environmental stress.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 29, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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