resourcefuladj.
/rᵻˈzɔːsf(ᵿ)l/, /rᵻˈsɔːsf(ᵿ)l/, U.S. /rəˈsɔrsf(ə)l/, /riˈsɔrsf(ə)l/ 1. Skilled in devising expedients or in meeting difficulties; full of practical ingenuity.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > [adjective] > resourceful
shifty1570
shiftfula1618
nackety1756
resourceful1808
1808 Trial Col. Aaron Burr III. 354 Daring, yet vigilant and cautious, he is provident in warding dangers and resourceful in mastering them.
1851 D. G. Mitchell Fresh Gleanings 67 What is five francs a day to a man of such resourceful spirit?
1891 E. Peacock Narcissa Brendon I. 12 She was a strong-willed, resourceful woman.
1936 H. Hagedorn Brookings xv. 254 He was resourceful, steady, determined, he never let up on a man.
1957 D. Grinnell-Milne Baden-Powell at Mafeking 27 Were there not brave men in the commandos, resourceful, inured to hardship, every man accustomed to long hours in the saddle?
2004 Birmingham Post (Nexis) 3 Jan. 8 Pigeons are our most common urban bird. They are amazingly resourceful creatures, able to survive in the midst of predatory humanity.
2. Rich in reserves or resources.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [adjective] > abounding in resources
richlOE
resourceful1813
1813 Sketch of Jrnl. French Armies 6 Prince Kutusoff..was anxious to secure all the resourceful districts.
1880 R. Temple India 95 The Government, again, finding the money market in London so conveniently resourceful, resorted to it.
1913 J. F. Fraser Panama & what it Means xix. 264 Centrally situated, a fertile and resourceful land,..there is no reason..why it should not be as rich as any part of the American continent.
2005 H. Daly-Hassen & A. B. Mansoura in M. Merlo & L. Croituro Valuing Mediterranean Forests vii. 106 Tunisia used to be a resourceful country in terms of forest cover and timber production.
Derivatives
reˈsourcefully adv.
ΚΠ
1872 E. W. Benson Work, Friendship, Worship i. 2 Such problems as are in Cambridge most resourcefully, and under deepest sense of responsibility discussed.
1938 Columbia Law Rev. 38 1160 The Court..held the Statute constitutional by resourcefully tugging at its own bootstraps.
2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 13 Aug. 9/1 Our understanding of language..is best advanced by examining its handling by those of our species who have used it most resourcefully.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1808