Bestrijden

Bestrijden is a Dutch verb meaning to fight against, oppose, or combat something. It is used for both physical conflict and addressing non-physical challenges, such as disease, crime, or misinformation. As a transitive verb, bestrijden requires a direct object, as in: “We bestrijden de ziekte” or “De regering probeert misinformatie te bestrijden.”

The word combines the stem strijd (to fight) with the prefix be-, forming bestrijden. The past participle is bestreden, used in passive constructions like “De stelling is bestreden” (the claim has been contested). The present participle is bestrijdend.

Common contexts include politics, medicine, security, and public information. It can refer to both direct action and policy measures, such as maatregelen om ziekte te bestrijden (measures to combat disease) or criminaliteit bestrijden (to fight crime). The verb typically does not require a preposition, and the direct object indicates what is being fought or opposed. In passive voice, you may encounter “bestreden” as in “De bewering is bestreden.”

Related terms include de bestrijding (the act or effort of fighting against something) and de bestrijder (the person who fights against something), with plural vormen like de bestrijders. While synonyms exist—such as tegengaan (to oppose) or tegenwerken (to hinder)—bestrijden generally connotes active engagement and direct confrontation in both concrete and abstract domains.

See also: bestrijding, bestrijder, bestreden.