motstand

Motstand is a Norwegian noun meaning opposition or resistance. It refers to the act or state of resisting or opposing someone or something, including ideas, policies, or external forces. The term is used in political, social, and everyday contexts to describe disagreement, defiance, or reluctance to comply with a demand.

In political and social discourse, motstandoften denotes forms of opposition or civil resistance, such as protests, strikes, or nonviolent resistance. The concept can encompass organized movements as well as individual acts of defiance against authorities, policies, or social norms. In historical contexts, the word is closely associated with organized opposition to power, including resistance movements during conflicts.

In a historical Norwegian context, motstand is especially linked to the resistance to the German occupation during World War II. The Norwegian motstandsbevegelsen involved various groups that conducted intelligence gathering, distribution of illegal press, and sabotage, with Milorg and other networks playing key roles in coordinating defense and assisting Allied forces.

In science and technology, motstand translates to electrical resistance, the property of a material or component that opposes the flow of electric current. It is measured in ohms (Ω) and described by Ohm’s law, V = IR, which relates voltage, current, and resistance. The term can also appear in mechanical or acoustic discussions as a general sense of resistance to applied forces or waves.

The word is related to the verb å motstå (to resist) and forms part of compound terms such as motstandsbevegelse or motstandsarbeid in contexts discussing opposition, resistance, or resilience.