residency

American  

[rez-i-duhn-see] / ˈrɛz ɪ dən si /

noun

residencies plural

1. residence.

2. the position or tenure of a medical resident.

3. (formerly) the official residence of a representative of the British governor general at an Indian court.

4. (formerly) an administrative division of the Dutch East Indies.

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residency British  

/ ˈrɛzɪdənsɪ /

noun

1. a variant of residence

2. a regular series of concerts by a band or singer at one venue

3. the period, following internship, during which a physician undergoes further clinical training, usually in one medical speciality

4. (in India, formerly) the official house of the governor general at the court of a native prince

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• residencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of residency

First recorded in 1570–80; resid(ent) + -ency

Explanation

Your residency is where you live, officially. A residency is also a temporary professional visit, like when a doctor does a residency at a hospital or a poet does a residency at a school. When someone emigrates to another country, they don't just visit temporarily — they gain residency in the new country, becoming a legal resident. And if you get a driver's license, you'll get it in the state where you have residency. Another way to use this noun is to mean "a stage of medical training." After attending medical school, new doctors have a residency at a hospital, where they specialize in a particular branch of medicine.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

residency residencies

“As part of the Bon Jovi residency at Madison Square Garden, Jon has said numerous times that it has been a joy to return to live shows for the band.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Paxton did not answer questions from the newsrooms in early July about his voter registration and residency.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

People like Contreras came to America as minors but never got citizenship or residency.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

There are currently promotional rates up to 9% listed on CD Valet, some of which come with very specific conditions like minimum investments, residency requirements or membership restrictions.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

The Brigham accepted Farmer and Jim Kim into its prestigious residency program in internal medicine.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Yachts akin to floating palaces fill the marina, celebrity chefs jet in for residencies at local restaurants and Pampelonne Beach morphs into a sandy catwalk with seasonal beach clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Homeland Security data from the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, the latest available, shows that of some 350,000 new permanent residencies issued, about 190,000—54 percent—were adjustments, which is in keeping with historical trends.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

A benefit dinner will support Andrea Zittel’s High Desert Test Sites, an artist-run platform offering residencies, housed on her 80-acre compound.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2026

Speaking to Newsbeat on the Brit Awards red carpet, Jade says that, as a musician, residencies can be better for your body.

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026

Their children were young; a few cousins were native councillors in Labuwangi and the adjoining residencies, but their veins contained not a drop of the noble blood.

From The Hidden Force A Story of Modern Java by Couperus, Louis

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