intr.v., -sort·ed, -sort·ing, -sorts.
- To have recourse: The government resorted to censorship of the press.
- To go customarily or frequently; repair.
- A place frequented by people for relaxation or recreation: a ski resort.
- A customary or frequent going or gathering: a popular place of resort.
- The act of turning to for aid or relief; recourse: raised the money without resort to borrowing.
- One turned to for aid or relief: I would ask him only as a last resort.
[Middle English resorten, to return, from Old French resortir, to go out again : re-, re- + sortir, to go out.]
SYNONYMS resort, apply, go, refer, turn. These verbs mean to repair to or fall back on someone or something in time of need: resorted to corporal punishment; apply to a bank for a loan; goes to her friends for comfort; referred to his notes to refresh his memory; turns to his parents for support. See also synonyms at makeshift.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
