Pièce de résistance

Pièce de résistance is a phrase with meanings as follows:

Noun

pièce de résistance (plural pièces de résistance)

1. A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime.

   Synonyms: magnum opus, masterpiece^[1]

2. The chief dish at a dinner. [from late 18th c.] ^[1]

The term "pièce de résistance" originates from French, literally meaning "piece of resistance," but its exact development of sense is unclear, though it first appeared as the "most substantial dish in a meal". The phrase was adopted into English in the late 18th or early 19th century and evolved to describe the best, most important, or most impressive feature or item in a series or group, not just in a culinary context.

1. "pièce de résistance", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2025-09-06, retrieved 2025-09-27