residence
Americannoun
-
the place, especially the house, in which a person lives or resides; dwelling; home.
Their residence is in New York City.
- Synonyms:
- domicile, habitation
-
a structure serving as a dwelling or home, especially one of large proportion and superior quality.
They have a summer residence in Connecticut.
- Synonyms:
- mansion
-
the act or fact of residing.
during his residence in Spain.
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the act of living or staying in a specified place while performing official duties, carrying on studies or research, awaiting a divorce, etc..
She will spend two terms in resident at Oxford University.
-
the time during which a person resides in a place.
a residence there of five years.
-
the location of the main offices or principal center of business activity of a commercial enterprise, especially a large corporation, as registered under law.
-
Chemistry. residence time.
noun
-
the place in which one resides; abode or home
-
a large imposing house; mansion
-
the fact of residing in a place or a period of residing
-
the official house of the governor of any of various countries
-
the state of being officially present
-
-
actually resident
the royal standard indicates that the Queen is in residence
-
designating a creative artist resident for a set period at a university, college, etc, whose role is to stimulate an active interest in the subject
composer in residence
-
-
the seat of some inherent quality, characteristic, etc
Synonym Usage
See house.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of residence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin residentia, equivalent to Latin resid(ēre) “to dwell, live in, reside” + -entia noun suffix; see origin at reside, -ence
Explanation
The house or apartment where you live is your place of residence. If you're house proud, it means you keep your residence nice and tidy. The act of living in a place is also called residence. You might take up residence in an ancient oak tree when the city threatens to cut it down, for example. The official home of a person in a position of power — like a monarch or a president — is also called a residence. The official residence of the British Prime Minister is 10 Downing Street, and the residence of the President of the United States is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Vocabulary lists containing residence
There's No Word Like Home
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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"Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky"
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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.
See Examples For:
Ohlerking’s notice said he could apply for an exemption to the tax by submitting proof online that the home was his primary residence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
France had extended Fedorova's residence permit by 10 years in 2024.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
The route someone follows depends on the basis of their immigration status and their individual circumstances, including factors such as family life, work, length of residence and private life in the UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Hernandez was last seen alive April 23, 2025 near Burke’s residence, prosecutors have said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
As a result, both of us had grown fiercely dependent on the small gym on the top floor of the residence.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
While the tax putatively applies only to non-primary residences not occupied or leased, there’s no simple way for the city to determine this based on its records on file.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Additionally, candidates are exempted from including some assets, such as personal residences or vehicles.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
The home is one of just two Wallace Neff residences in La Cañada Flintridge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Residents are currently in short-term accommodation - some in housing association properties, some in private rentals including Airbnbs, others are in alternative temporary accommodation including student residences in Stirling.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He had other residences around the globe but considered this one home.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
