resistance
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resistance
The action or attitude of defending oneself against something or someone, or opposing something. This can be political, military, or personal.
Der Plan der Regierung stieß in der Bevölkerung auf großen Widerstand.
The government's plan met with strong resistance among the population.
'Widerstand' (resistance) is made up of the preposition 'wider' (against) and the noun 'der Stand' (from 'stehen' — to stand). Literally, it means something like 'standing against,' which describes the core meaning well in all contexts.
Sein Körper stand der Krankheit lange wider.
His body resisted the illness for a long time.
If you want to express what the resistance is directed against, you always use the preposition 'gegen' followed by the accusative. Another very typical expression is 'auf Widerstand stoßen' (to meet with resistance).
Es gab starken Widerstand gegen die neuen Regeln.
There was strong resistance against the new rules.
The combination 'Widerstand leisten' (to resist / to offer resistance) is a fixed collocation and means to actively defend oneself. It is often used in the context of the police, the military, or defense against an attack.
Die Demonstranten leisteten passiven Widerstand.
The demonstrators offered passive resistance.
This meaning is a technical term from physics and electrical engineering. You can recognize it from words such as 'Strom' (current), 'Spannung' (voltage), 'Schaltung' (circuit), or the unit of measurement 'Ohm' (ohm).
Der elektrische Widerstand wird in Ohm gemessen.
Electrical resistance is measured in ohms.
In the physical sense of an 'opposing force,' 'Widerstand' (resistance) very often appears as part of compound nouns. The best-known examples are 'der Luftwiderstand' (air resistance) and 'der Wasserwiderstand' (water resistance).
Moderne Autos haben einen geringen Luftwiderstand.
Modern cars have low air resistance.
support
'Unterstützung' and 'Widerstand' form an opposite pair when talking about plans, people, or decisions. 'Unterstützung' means that someone helps, agrees, or makes something possible, including with money. 'Widerstand' means that someone opposes something or resists it. In discussions or politics, an idea can therefore receive support or meet with resistance. The technical meanings of 'Widerstand' are not meant here.
Gegen den neuen Plan gibt es in der Nachbarschaft starken Widerstand.
There is strong resistance to the new plan in the neighborhood.
Wir haben bei der Vorbereitung viel Unterstützung von unseren Freunden bekommen.
We received a lot of support from our friends during the preparations.