residential
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to residence or to residences.
a residential requirement for a doctorate.
-
suited for or characterized by private residences.
a residential neighborhood.
adjective
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suitable for or allocated for residence
a residential area
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relating to or having residence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of residential
Explanation
In the same way that an “industrial area” is a place of industry where people work, a residential area is made up of houses and apartment buildings — places where people reside. Residential is an adjective that expresses a relationship with homes, apartments, or any place where people live. You might refer to a residential building, a residential neighborhood, or a residential block. Something that is deemed “for residential use” is designed for use at home or rather than for business or commercial use.
Vocabulary lists containing residential
Out of My Mind
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Content Summary G.3: Spatial Reorganization
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A pair of 40-story residential towers was painted red to resemble missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"We have on the one hand the tourist accommodation market and on the other the residential market," says Jordi Vila, a representative of the Sindicat de Llogateres.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Even more baffling is the fact that just one week ago a mountain lion was found in a residential area of Santa Monica, which similarly prompted shelter-in-place warnings for people living nearby.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
The incident has left city officials scratching their heads as to how the creature crossed the 210 Freeway and decided to plop down in a heavily populated residential area surrounded by major streets.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
It has a broad green, an old-fashioned Main Street, a handsome campus with a settled and venerable air, and leafy residential streets.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
