residence

American  

[rez-i-duhns] / ˈrɛz ɪ dəns /

noun

1. the place, especially the house, in which a person lives or resides; dwelling; home.

   Their residence is in New York City.

   Synonyms:

   domicile, habitation

2. 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

3. the act or fact of residing.

   during his residence in Spain.

4. 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.

5. the time during which a person resides in a place.

   a residence there of five years.

   Synonyms:

   sojourn, abode, stay

6. the location of the main offices or principal center of business activity of a commercial enterprise, especially a large corporation, as registered under law.

7. Chemistry. residence time.

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residence British  

/ ˈrɛzɪdəns /

noun

1. the place in which one resides; abode or home

2. a large imposing house; mansion

3. the fact of residing in a place or a period of residing

4. the official house of the governor of any of various countries

5. the state of being officially present

6. 1. actually resident

      the royal standard indicates that the Queen is in residence

   2. 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

7. the seat of some inherent quality, characteristic, etc

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Synonym Usage

See house.

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.

Example Sentences

The three-story residence has spawned a variety of scandals over the years.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

Under the legislation, the city’s Department of Finance will determine whether a residence is a second home and calculate its market value.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

In its notice, the government called the area a "highly sensitive and strategic" zone near the prime minister's residence and said the lease stood terminated with "immediate effect".

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The residence of the Albanian ambassador was also hit and the Balkan country summoned the Russian envoy in protest.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

We began to make subtle changes to the residence, adding modern lighting to go with the traditional chandeliers and scented candles that made the place feel more like home.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• apartment
• condo
• dwelling
• hall
• headquarters
• home
• house
• mansion
• palace