Resist composition and pattern forming process

A resist composition comprising a quencher containing a sulfonium salt composed of a C5-C20 aromatic carboxylic acid anion substituted with a halogen atom or a halogen atom-containing group and a sulfonium cation having the following formula (1):

• wherein p, q, and r are each independently an integer of 0 to 3, s is 1 or 2, provided that 1≤r+s≤3,
• R1 and R2 are each independently a halogen atom, a trifluoromethyl group, a trifluoromethoxy group, a trifluoromethylthio group, a nitro group, a cyano group, —C(═O)—R4, —O—C(═O)—R5, or —O—R5,
• R3 is a halogen atom, a trifluoromethyl group, a trifluoromethoxy group, a trifluoromethylthio group, a nitro group, a cyano group, —O—C(═O)—R5, or —O—R5,
• R4 is a C1-C10 hydrocarbyl group, a C1-C10 hydrocarbyloxy group, or —O—R4A, the hydrocarbyl group and hydrocarbyloxy group may be substituted with a fluorine atom or a hydroxy group, R4A is an acid labile group,
• R5 is a C1-C10 hydrocarbyl group,
• L is a single bond, an ether bond, a carbonyl group, —N(R)—, a sulfide bond, or a sulfonyl group, and R is a hydrogen atom or a C1-C6 saturated hydrocarbyl group.