Resilience vs. Resiliency. Which is Correct?

The two terms are related, but is one more correct than the other?

Photo by Seiji Seiji on Unsplash

This piece is part of the Reality Studies Resilience Manual.

Resilience or Resiliency? Which Term Should I Use?

The terms “resilience” and “resiliency” are often used interchangeably, and essentially refer to the same concept: the ability to recover from or adjust to adversity. That said, some contexts and industries may prefer one term over the other.

“Resilience” is more commonly used in academic and psychological discussions, while “resiliency” might appear in engineering or business contexts.

Some, such as Nina Flagler Hall, have argued that “resilience” is actually the etymologically correct term (this is the perspective I align with):

Ian [Johnson] also points out that the suffix -cy is used for abstract nouns, whereas resiliens is the present participle of resilire (Latin: to rebound, recoil), which translates into a non-abstract meaning: the act of rebounding. The abstract -cy can be read, then, as the tendency to rebound. Building resiliency might improve your tendency—or inclination—to rebound, while building resilience would improve the actual performance of rebounding. Obviously, both are good, and the general difference lies in the “potential vs. kinetic” action of rebounding. And, as we all know, you should always chose the action word.

This explanation helps clarify why resilience is more correct than resiliency, at least with regard to the type of “resilience” being discussed in the Reality Studies Resilience Manual—even though resiliency is also technically correct.

The Meaning of Resilience

At the most basic level, resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and adapt in the face of adversity, trauma, threats, or stress. It’s not simply about bouncing back, but also about learning and growing from challenging experiences.

To learn more about resilience, I encourage you to read “Psychological Resilience and the Benefits of Resilience Counseling,” which introduces the topic in greater detail. I’ve included that below.