resuming

Resuming is the action of beginning something again after a pause or interruption, typically implying continuation from the point where it stopped. It is used for tasks, activities, conversations, and processes that have been temporarily halted.

Common uses span everyday and technical contexts. People say they resumed work after a break or resumed a lecture after a short pause. In technology, you may hear about resuming playback of audio or video, resuming a paused download, or resuming a suspended computer process once conditions allow. In networking and data transfer, a download or transfer can be resumed from a given position if the server and client support partial content, enabling continuation without starting over. In broadcasting, live coverage can resume after a commercial break or other interruption.

Etymology and usage notes: The verb resume comes from Old French resumer, from Latin resumere, meaning to take up again or begin again, formed with re- plus sumere “to take.” Resuming is the present participle form used to describe ongoing continuation. It is easy to confuse resuming with résumé, a noun meaning a CV or résumé, which derives from French résumé meaning a summary. Although the two terms are similar in spelling, they belong to different senses; context usually makes the intended meaning clear.

In formal writing, resuming is used to describe the act of continuing after a pause, while résumé refers to a brief biographical summary. See also resume (noun, CV) and continuation.