antifragile

[ an-tee-fraj-uhl, an-tahy- ]

adjective

1. becoming more robust when exposed to stressors, uncertainty, or risk:

   We've made the structure sturdy and antifragile, so bad weather makes it stronger.

Other Words From

• an·ti·fra·gil·i·ty [an-tee-fr, uh, -, jil, -i-tee, an-tahy-], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of antifragile¹

Coined in 2012 by Lebanese-born U.S. mathematical statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb (born 1960) in his book Antifragile; anti- ( def ) + fragile ( def )

Example Sentences

With the eccentric energy of Girls Aloud and the impeccable hooks of the Korean pop machine, they’ve released grungy, club-ready songs like Crazy and Antifragile, been nominated for multiple MTV Awards, and collaborated with Nile Rodgers and PinkPantheress.

From BBC

Dressed in custom Nicolas Ghesquière leather, the group played heated Afro-Latin tracks like “Antifragile” and brought out Chic legend Nile Rodgers for their collaboration “Unforgiven” — a strong endorsement from a guy that previous Sahara Tent legends Daft Punk and Avicii have looked up to.

From Los Angeles Times

When I’m thinking long-term, I’m thinking first and foremost, “What will be best for the WordPress community this year, 10 years, 30 years from now? What will make us the most sustainable, the most resilient, the most antifragile?”

From The Verge

Xueming Zhang, head of Antifragile Investment at China iFund Asset Management Co Ltd, distanced his company from the type of funds potentially being targeted by regulators.

From Reuters

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a statistician and scholar, tweaked this idea into a broad theory of survivability in his 2012 book, “Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder.”

From New York Times