resile: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/RareFormal, Legal, Technical
Quick answer
What does “resile” mean?
To withdraw from a course of action, agreement, or commitment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To withdraw from a course of action, agreement, or commitment; to spring back to an original shape or position after compression or distortion.
In legal contexts, to repudiate or terminate a contract. More broadly, to recoil or retreat from a difficult or unpleasant situation or from a stated position.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more prevalent in British legal and formal writing. American usage tends towards synonyms like 'withdraw' or 'recoil' in everyday contexts, but 'resile' is recognized in legal jargon.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries a formal, precise connotation, often implying a deliberate, sometimes controversial, reversal.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general corpora. Its use is almost exclusively confined to formal writing, law, and political discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “resile” in a Sentence
[Subject] resiles from [Object (agreement/position)]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “resile” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The minister was forced to resile from his earlier comments during the select committee hearing.
- Once the agreement is signed, neither party can unilaterally resile from its core obligations.
- The foam resiled slowly after the weight was removed.
American English
- The company's lawyers advised it could not resile from the merger agreement without significant penalty.
- After public outcry, the senator resiled from her support for the controversial bill.
- The treaty included clauses preventing either nation from resiling without a year's notice.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard.)
American English
- (Not standard.)
adjective
British English
- (Not standard. Use 'resilient'.)
American English
- (Not standard. Use 'resilient'.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in contract law and negotiations, e.g., 'The vendor attempted to resile from the terms after the market shifted.'
Academic
Used in political science or legal studies to describe state or institutional policy reversal.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Used in law (contracts), materials science (describing elastic recovery), and diplomacy.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “resile”
- Confusing with 'reconcile'. Using it in an informal context. Incorrect preposition (e.g., 'resile to' instead of 'resile from').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a rare, formal word used primarily in legal, diplomatic, and technical writing.
The preposition 'from' is essential and almost exclusive. You always 'resile from' something.
Both imply withdrawal. 'Retract' often applies to statements or physical parts (retract a statement, retract landing gear). 'Resile' is more formal and often applies to positions, commitments, or agreements, implying a retreat from a previously held formal stance.
Rarely. It typically describes a withdrawal that may be seen as breaking a promise or showing weakness. In a materials context ('the rubber resiled'), it is neutral.
To withdraw from a course of action, agreement, or commitment.
Resile is usually formal, legal, technical in register.
Resile: in British English it is pronounced /rɪˈzaɪl/, and in American English it is pronounced /rɪˈzaɪl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to 'resile'. Related: 'go back on one's word'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'RE' (back) + 'SILE' (related to 'recoil' or 'silent' retreat). A resilient object resiles when pressure is removed.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL/LEGAL POSITIONS ARE PHYSICAL POSITIONS (from which one can retreat). AGREEMENTS ARE BONDS (that can be sprung back from).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'resile' most appropriately used?