Widerstand

Widerstand is a German noun meaning opposition or resistance. It is used in various domains to describe the act of opposing or withstanding something, or the property that resists a force.

In science and engineering, Widerstand most often denotes electrical resistance, the property of a material that impedes electric current. Electrical resistance is measured in ohms (Ω) and described by Ohm's law: V = IR, where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance. The resistance of a conductor depends on material, cross-section, length, and temperature; resistivity is an intrinsic property of the material. Resistors are components built to provide fixed or adjustable resistance, used in circuits for voltage control and current limiting.

Widerstand also refers to opposition to motion, such as air resistance or viscous drag, which increases with velocity and depends on shape and medium.

In social and political contexts, Widerstand denotes organized or informal opposition to a government or occupying power. Notable uses include historical German Widerstand during the Nazi era and similar movements worldwide, where acts of protest, civil disobedience, or sabotage aimed to oppose policy or oppression.

In biology and medicine, resistance appears in compound terms such as antibiotic resistance; in German, the standard term for that concept is Antibiotikaresistenz, though Widerstand is used in some contexts to convey the general idea of opposition to a treatment or agent.

The word originates from the German wider- meaning against and stand meaning stand or withstand, with usage dating to medieval and early modern language.