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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

It is minimal residual disease, or MRD—a blood test that looks for tiny traces of circulating tumor DNA after treatment, potentially detecting cancer recurrence before it shows up on a scan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

It ties residual value to the life of one model, and model lifespans are shorter and less predictable than server lifespans.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

The review also found evidence of residual effects lasting up to 24 hours.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The awesome supernova explosion ejects into space most of the matter of the precursor star—a little residual hydrogen and helium and significant amounts of other atoms, carbon and silicon, iron and uranium.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Acting residuals trickled in and helped cover basic expenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 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

But since the group — which includes over 100 workers across legal, communications and residuals departments — has been on strike, they are no longer eligible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 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