resentment (English)

Where does "resentment" come from?

The English noun 'resentment' is derived from the verb 'resent' combined with the suffix '-ment'[1]. This formation follows the model of the Middle French and French term 'ressentiment'[1], which itself traces back to the Old French verb 'resentir'[3][5]. That verb originated from the Latin 'sentiō' or 'sentīre', meaning 'to feel'[1][2][8]. Ultimately, these roots descend from the Proto-Indo-European base '*sent-', which carried the sense of 'to feel' or 'to notice'[4][6]. While modern usage typically refers to indignation, the word historically encompassed a wider range of meanings, including 'gratitude' or simply the act of holding a reflection in one's mind[1]. Related terms appear across Romance languages, such as the Italian 'risentimento', Portuguese 'ressentimento', and Spanish 'resentimiento'[1].

Open questions

• The Proto-Indo-European form '*sent-' is a reconstructed root rather than an directly attested word. [4] [6]

Full etymology tree

• resentment (English), 'Anger or displeasure stemming from belief that one or one's group has been wronged or betrayed by others; indignation.'
  • derived resent (English), 'To feel resentment over; to consider as an affront.'
    • borrowed resentir (Old French), 'to smell (detect an odor)'
      • prefix re- (Old French), 're- (again; once more)'
      • derived sentir (Old French), 'to feel (have a feeling)'
        • inherited sentire (Latin), 'inflection of sentiō:'
          • inherited *sentjō (Proto-Italic), 'to feel, to sense, to perceive'
            • inherited *sent- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to go'
  • suffix -ment (English), 'Attached to a verb to form a noun meaning the action denoted by the verb or its result.'

Ancestors

• *sent- (Proto-Indo-European)
• resent (English)
• ment (English)
• sentir (Old French)

Cognates and doublets

• resentiment (English)
• ressentiment (English)
• risentimento (Italian)
• ressentimento (Portuguese)
• resentimiento (Spanish)

Descendants and derived words

• resenteeism (English)

Sources

1. resentment (English) - Wiktionary
2. sentir (Old French) - Wiktionary
3. resent (English) - Wiktionary
4. sentio (Latin) - Wiktionary
5. resentir (Old French) - Wiktionary
6. sentjō (Proto-Italic) - Wiktionary
7. ressentir (French) - Wiktionary
8. ressentiment (French) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris