nonresistant

adjective

non·​re·​sis·​tant ˌnän-ri-ˈzi-stənt How to pronounce nonresistant (audio)
: not resistant
specifically : susceptible to the effects of a deleterious agent (such as an insecticide, a pathogen, or an extreme environmental condition)
nonresistant noun

Examples of nonresistant in a Sentence

the nonresistant arrest of most of the demonstrators
Recent Examples on the Web When the new drug kills off the resistant bacteria, nonresistant versions will have a better chance of surviving. K. N. Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2016 Over time, the proportion of resistant bacteria will increase as nonresistant bacteria are killed by the antibiotic. Andre Hudson, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2021 The complaint accuses the police officers, Jordan Belchamber and Christino Quinonez, of failing to immediately intervene upon seeing Zapata Hernandez being restrained — handcuffed, nonresistant and facedown — on the pavement. Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2021 Heavy use of antibiotics, while often necessary, can kill off the nonresistant infections and allow resistant ones to thrive. Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2019 Lastly, southeast Asian countries have a relatively low transmission rate, meaning resistant strains run up against less competition from more dominant nonresistant strains. Washington Post, 30 July 2019 In areas where antibiotic use was restricted, infections with resistant strains largely disappeared, leaving only people infected with milder, and more easily treatable, nonresistant strains. Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonresistant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonresistant was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near nonresistant

Cite this Entry

“Nonresistant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonresistant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nonresistant

adjective
non·​re·​sis·​tant -tənt How to pronounce nonresistant (audio)
: not resistant
especially : unable to withstand the effects of a harmful substance (as an insecticide or antibiotic)
nonresistant bacteria
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!