residence
Americannoun
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residences
plural
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the place, especially the house, in which a person lives or resides; dwelling; home.
Their residence is in New York City.
- Synonyms:
- domicile, habitation
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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
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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.
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the time during which a person resides in a place.
a residence there of five years.
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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
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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
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the state of being officially present
-
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actually resident
the royal standard indicates that the Queen is in residence
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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
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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:
It comes after it emerged that the couple intend to relocate with their children from the US to the UK later this month to a private, non-royal residence outside London.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Carlos Simon has been the NSO’s composer in residence for the last five years, and Noseda has revived and recorded an essential album of works by George Walker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
This larger figure includes those lacking a permanent residence or security of tenure, and includes families and children.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
This permits U.S. residence, not voting, yet there’s confusion, since “much of the paperwork and language around this status designation refers to such individuals as dual citizens.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
I did, in September, have a pleasant overdue lunch with Hillary Clinton, the two of us sitting in the residence dining room.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
The city of Vancouver in Canada has an Empty Homes Tax on residences that are vacant or under-used for more than six months of a calendar year.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
It was reported that the couple had already chosen a new house, but that it would not be one of the many royal residences.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The round house is one of seven residences on a 2.25-acre site next to the freeway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The neighborhood has just 34 residences, guarded by a private police force and 24/7 armed boat patrols.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Satellite images of the family’s residences stand out like sable-clad thumbs in the mangy landscape of North Korea.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
