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
-
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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:
Lauren Wallace, an criminologist with the Los Angeles Police Department, said she found evidence of blood on gym mats and flooring inside the garage at the artist’s Hollywood Hills residence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
However, the songstress took up more permanent residence in New York City in 2023, when her talk show moved from Los Angeles to the Big Apple.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The population also followed patrilocal residence, in which women typically moved to live with or near the families of their male partners.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
By early afternoon, two CJP representatives met Health Minister JP Nadda after waiting outside his residence for about two hours.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
He’s not there though, so I loop around the back hallway to his room, in the far back corner of the residence.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The Gelmans fraternized with Mexico’s bohemian avant-garde and hosted soirees at opulent residences in Mexico and New York.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 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
At least nine of Kim’s palatial residences have started construction between late May and early June, according to recent satellite imagery analysis by NK Pro, a research service specializing in the Kim regime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Among homeowners, primary residences account for a median 45% of net worth, according to Pew Research Center.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
The university is a delightful place; lots of room in the classes and residences, no crowding in the cafeteria, and the professors are solicitous.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
