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
-
suitable for or allocated for residence
a residential area
-
relating to or having residence
Other Word 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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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.
Most of its residential customers are in a three-tier price structure that changes seasonally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The market was expecting about 230,000 residential housing projects to have begun, after starts edged down 0.1% in August and fell 5.6% the month before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
A neighbor said police initially arrived at the residential building approximately one hour after the shooting.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The education and communication category includes wireless and residential phone services.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The town offers handsome, expensive residential neighborhoods, good schools, parks, golf courses, excellent day care for children.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
