noun

partisan

A member of an armed resistance group.

The partisan carries supplies to resistance fighters in the hills.

Etymology

The Italian word names someone attached to a side or party. The military sense specializes that allegiance to a member of an irregular fighting or resistance group.

More examples

Armed partisans ambushed an enemy patrol outside the village.
She joined the partisans after foreign troops occupied her town.
The wounded partisan hid in a farmhouse until help arrived.

Forms

partisan · partisans

Similar words

guerrilla: Emphasizes irregular combat tactics, especially raids and ambushes.
insurgent: Specifically fights against an established government or authority.
rebel: More broadly opposes authority, not necessarily through armed resistance.