A resist composition comprises a polymer comprising recurring units having formula (1) wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.4, R.sup.7, and R.sup.14 are H or methyl, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.15, and R.sup.16 are H, alkyl or fluoroalkyl, R is F or H, R.sup.5 is alkylene, R.sup.6 is fluorinated alkyl, R.sup.8 is a single bond or alkylene, R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are H, F, methyl or trifluoromethyl, R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 are a single bond, --O-- or --CR.sup.18R.sup.19--, R.sup.9, R.sup.18, and R.sup.19 are H, F, methyl or trifluoromethyl, R.sup.17 is alkylene, X.sup.1, X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are --C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--, or --C(.dbd.O)--R.sup.20--C(.dbd.O)--O-- wherein R.sup.20 is alkylene, 0.ltoreq.(a-1)<1, 0.ltoreq.(a-2)<1, 0.ltoreq.(a-3)<1, 0<(a-1)+(a-2)+(a-3)<1, 0