residual

American  

[ri-zij-oo-uhl] / rɪˈzɪdʒ u əl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or constituting a residue or remainder; remaining; leftover.

   Synonyms:

   enduring, lasting, abiding

2. Mathematics.

   1. formed by the subtraction of one quantity from another.

      a residual quantity.

   2. (of a set) having complement of first category.

3. of or relating to the payment of residuals.

4. Medicine/Medical. remaining in an organ or part following normal discharge or expulsion.

   residual air.

5. Geology. remaining after the soluble elements have been dissolved.

   residual soil.

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noun

• residuals
  plural

1. a residual quantity; remainder.

2. Often residuals. something that remains to discomfort or disable a person following an illness, injury, operation, or the like; disability.

   His residuals are a weak heart and light-headedness.

3. Mathematics.

   1. the deviation of one of a set of observations or numbers from the mean of the set.

   2. the deviation between an empirical and a theoretical result.

4. Navigation. a slight deviation of an adjusted compass on a certain heading.

5. Usually residuals. additional pay given to a performer for reruns, repeated use of a film, radio or TV commercial, or the like, in which the performer appears.

residual British  

/ rɪˈzɪdjʊəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating a residue or remainder; remaining; left over

2. (of deposits, soils, etc) formed by the weathering of pre-existing rocks and the removal of disintegrated material

3. of or relating to the payment of residuals

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noun

1. something left over as a residue; remainder

2. statistics

   1. the difference between the mean of a set of observations and one particular observation

   2. the difference between the numerical value of one particular observation and the theoretical result

3. (often plural) payment made to an actor, actress, musician, etc, for subsequent use of film in which the person appears

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonresidual
  adjective
• unresidual
  adjective
• residually
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• residuals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of residual

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin residu(um) “what is left over, remainder” (noun use of neuter of adjective residuus “left over,” derivative of resid(ēre) “to remain seated, be left over”) + -uus adjective suffix + -al adjective suffix; see reside, -al ¹

Explanation

Residual describes what remains after most of something is gone. It’s an almost formal word for what’s leftover. If you’ve gotten over your breakup but you still have the urge to kick your ex, then you have some residual bitterness. Residual comes from the Old French root word residu, which means "a remainder." That's why residual can be something that is left behind, like the residual grime on your kitchen counter from wiping it with a dirty sponge or residual feelings of guilt that remain after you dumped your girlfriend because you were rude. A residual is also a payment to a performer, writer, or director of a television show every time the commercial airs; it’s a kind of royalty.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

residual residuals

At 12:00 BST, National Rail confirmed that lines have reopened between Stafford and Birmingham New Street, but residual disruption can still be expected until 16:00 BST on Saturday.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

As for the residual costs of exercising her right to offend back in 2017, Griffin confirmed that some of her shows still draw protesters.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Do you have any residual hunger for a huge hit record?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

“We usually think of retail investors as the residual claimant of whatever shares are left,” said Jeremy Michels, associate professor at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

The question seems to suck all the residual laughter out of his face and I’m immediately sorry I asked.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

In 2012 he faced a class-action suit from performers and staffers on “Comics Unleashed” who alleged they were not paid residuals or reimbursed for travel and other expenses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

The agreement also boosts the so-called bonus for residuals that performers get on most-watch streaming shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Some sticking points in negotiations were the Guild’s desire for increased residuals for streaming content and more safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

In addition, the WGA won changes to the rules surrounding the use of writers’ work in artificial intelligence and in the minimum payments, residuals and rules for script-writing, the union said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

I’m glad to have your contact information should any residuals come in.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• continuing
• enduring
• lingering