residence

[rez-i-duhns]

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.

residence

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of residence¹

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; reside, -ence

Synonym Study

See house.

Example Sentences

They clashed with security forces, who fired tear gas, after his residence was cordoned off.

Read more on BBC

“I was pretty much in pursuit,” he says, chasing after the Halloween display that had blown from a residence and rolled through the neighborhood.

Read more on Salon

The government alleges that Ms. James misrepresented a home she bought in Norfolk, Va., in 2020 as a secondary residence when in fact she rented it out.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Although this tactic may not have saved every residence, it would have significantly improved the situation within the affected area.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The charges stem from James’s 2020 purchase of a three-bedroom home in Norfolk, Va., obtaining favorable terms on a loan by claiming the property was her secondary residence, the indictment says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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