résistant

Résistant is a French word with two primary uses. As an adjective, it describes something or someone that has the ability to resist, withstand pressure, wear, or attack. It is frequently used for materials (un matériau résistant), objects designed to endure stress, or people characterized by endurance (une personne résistant à la fatigue). The feminine form is résistante and the plural forms are résistants (masculine) or résistantes (feminine).

As a noun, résistant refers to a person who resists authority, oppression, or occupation. The most common historical sense is a member of the French Résistance during World War II, but the term can be applied more broadly to anyone who actively resists an opposing power or regime.

Etymology and scope: résistant derives from resistere, via Old French resister, ultimately from Latin resistere “to stand back, to oppose.” The adjective and noun share the same root and adapt to gender and number through standard French inflection.

Historical context: In the 1940s, résistants operated clandestine networks, conducted intelligence gathering, sabotage, and aid to Allied forces. The term carries historical weight in French memory and is also used in contemporary discourse to denote persistent opposition to unjust authority or conditions.

Usage notes: The word is neutral in itself but can carry historical connotations when referring to WWII contexts. It properly agrees with the noun it modifies or with the implied subject: un résistant, une résistante; des résistants, des résistantes. In modern text, it may describe both durable qualities and individuals who oppose a threat or constraint.