resume
verb (used with object)
to take up or go on with again after interruption; continue.
Trivia Time
Resume, in the sense of "a written account of professional qualifications," comes from a French word meaning what?
resume
1 American
[ri-zoom]
/ rɪˈzum /
verb (used with object)
-
resumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resumed,
past participle, past
-
resuming
present participle
-
to take up or go on with again after interruption; continue.
to resume a journey.
-
to take or occupy again.
to resume one's seat.
-
to take or assume use or practice of again.
to resume her maiden name.
-
to take back.
to resume the title to a property.
verb (used without object)
-
resumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resumed,
past participle, past
-
resuming
present participle
-
to go on or continue after interruption.
The dancing is about to resume.
-
to begin again.
resume
2
American
[rez-oo-may, rez-oo-may]
/ ˈrɛz ʊˌmeɪ, ˌrɛz ʊˈmeɪ /
Sometimes
resumé
or
résumé
noun
-
a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job.
-
a summing up; summary.
resume
1
British
/ rɪˈzjuːm /
verb
-
to begin again or go on with (something adjourned or interrupted)
-
(tr) to occupy again, take back, or recover
to resume one's seat
to resume possession
-
(tr) to assume (a title, office, etc) again
to resume the presidency
-
archaic to summarize; make a résumé of
résumé
2
British
/ ˈrɛzjʊˌmeɪ /
noun
-
a short descriptive summary, as of events
-
another name for curriculum vitae
Spelling
Some French words borrowed into English preserve foreign features, like accent marks: café , déjà vu , résumé , séance , etc. In French, accent marks serve two purposes. They can mark a different vowel quality (the vowels e , è and é are pronounced very differently), or they may distinguish two words that would otherwise be homographs ( ou without an accent means “or,” while où with an accent means “where”). When you use these words in English, it is correct to write them with the French accents or without; the spellings divorcée and divorcee are both accepted. Some people prefer including the accent for accuracy or to evoke a subtle European flavor. The inclusion or omission of an accent mark when naming an establishment cafe or café suggests a certain expectation for the style and tone of the place. Other people find any use of a foreign accent mark to be unnecessary and pretentious. Be aware of your audience when making this decision. As in the original French, accents are useful for differentiating between two homographs. English speakers are more likely to keep the accents in a word like résumé or exposé in order to avoid confusion with the verbs resume or expose . Words without confusable English counterparts, like deja vu or cafe , are less likely to maintain their accents in written English. Generally, the use of foreign accents for words borrowed into English is optional. However, if you do choose to use accented letters, be sure to use the correct accent and be consistent within the word. For example, déjà vu has an acute (rising) accent mark in the first syllable and a grave (falling) accent in the second. The word résumé has two acute accent marks. Avoid haphazard or false accent marking, as sometimes seen in the spellings dejá vu or resumé . The best rule to follow for foreign accent marks is all or nothing.
Usage
Spelling tips for resume There are two words that use the spelling resume, and they’re pronounced very differently, which can make things confusing. As a verb meaning “to continue,” resume is pronounced [ ri-zoom ], which can sound like it should be spelled rezoom. As a noun referring to a list of a person’s professional qualifications, resume is pronounced [ rez-oo-mey ]. To reflect this pronunciation, the noun is sometimes spelled in the French manner, with accent marks (résumé or resumé), but they are not required and it is better to avoid using them. How to spell resume: First, remember that you don’t need any accent marks to spell the noun resume. You can remember how to spell the middle part by remembering that a resume should include the sum of your professional accomplishments. Then just remember that the verb that means “to continue” is spelled the exact same way.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
resumesimple
-
resumessimple
-
have resumedperfect
-
has resumedperfect
-
am resumingprogressive
-
are resumingprogressive
-
is resumingprogressive
-
have been resumingperfect progressive
-
has been resumingperfect progressive
Past
-
resumedsimple
-
had resumedperfect
-
was resumingprogressive
-
were resumingprogressive
-
had been resumingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resume1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English resumen, from Middle French resumer or directly from Latin resūmere “to take back, take again,” equivalent to re- “again, back” + sūmere “to take”; see re-, consume
Origin of resume2
First recorded in 1795–1805; from French résumé, noun use of past participle of résumer “to sum up”
Explanation
If you resume something, you start it again after stopping. You might resume singing an aria after breaking to spit out your gum. Resume is from Latin resumere "to take up again, take back," from the prefix re- "again" plus sumere "to take up, take." The Latin verb sumere is formed from the prefix sub- "under, up" plus emere "to take." When you pause a movie or game and then you press play again, what you're really doing is resuming play.
Vocabulary lists containing resume
Unit 1: Telling Details
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English Words Derived from French, List 1
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Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Be sure you’re attending networking events, staying in touch with old bosses and colleagues, and keeping your resume up to date.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Trailer Park Boys Incorporated, the company behind the show, said in a statement that because the charge against Smith was dropped, the actor will resume his responsibilities with the company.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
NASA's live coverage will resume as Dragon approaches the station for rendezvous and docking.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
While he said talks would resume this week, that was unable to lift the gloom on trading floors, with traders contemplating further rises in inflation that will force the Fed to tighten monetary policy more.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Lyndon Johnson had halted the bombing of North Vietnam, and Nixon was reluctant to resume it.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
In a trial brief submitted earlier this year, prosecutors alleged Weinberg repeatedly traded on his Hollywood résumé and affiliation with “Scrubs” — the beloved hospital sitcom he wrote and produced for from 2001 to 2010.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A desperate job seeker might not fact-check that affiliation and, thrilled to be contacted by the purported recruiter, send over her résumé or pay for consulting services to improve her chances at getting a job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
And on July 17, she added one more piece of history to the résumé, passing Lisa Leslie to become the Sparks’ all-time leading scorer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
These types of specific accomplishments can be game changers on your résumé, because they help show your positive impact on a company during your time there.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Trevor clicked back over to the website and we stared at her résumé.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Enzo Maresca's side go to Liverpool on 11 October when the Premier League resumes after the international break.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
In the process, she discovered the forgotten digital detritus left on their hard drives: old resumes, photo albums, Word documents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Canva’s Global Job Seeker Survey showed that approximately 57% of job seekers used AI to create their resumes in 2024, while another survey from data firm Clutch put that number at 84% in 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
“The Diplomat” resumes for its fourth season Thursday, Oct.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Madame DuPont hits play on the remote, and the movie resumes.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
“The kingdom also resumed loading vessels at the Red Sea port of Yanbu via its East-West pipeline,” the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
On the downside, spending also got a boost from an increase in gas prices after the U.S. and Iran resumed hostilities.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Middle East crude exports excluding Iran have returned to prewar levels, and Saudi Arabia has resumed shipments through its East-West pipeline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
When Iza returned to L.A. in July 2024, those services resumed until Iza’s arrest in September of that year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Mounties asked Elizebeth to return when the Lim trial resumed.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
OpenAI halted training of its latest models for two weeks in August before resuming it under tighter controls.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Even if a governor rescinds the moratorium, resuming executions would be a long and complicated process because the state has no approved protocol or facilities to carry out death sentences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Talwani, in a ruling last week, criticized the Postal Service for resuming work on the project.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
Meatpacking executives have said resuming the cattle trade was the fastest way to potentially lower beef prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Gale had shattered some invisible barrier between us and, with it, any hope I had of resuming our old, uncomplicated friendship.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
