combattant
fighter, combatant
noun kohm-bah-TAHN Rare
Origin: from 'combattre' (to fight), from Latin 'com-' + 'battuere'
Usage Note
Combattant refers to an active participant in armed conflict; the plural anciens combattants is the French equivalent of 'veterans' and names the government ministry overseeing them. The feminine form is combattante. The word also appears in the phrase poisson combattant for the Siamese fighting fish.
Examples
"Les combattants ont déposé les armes."
Natural Translation
The fighters laid down their weapons.
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