residency

noun

res·​i·​den·​cy ˈre-zə-dən(t)-sē 

ˈrez-dən(t)-,

ˈre-zə-ˌden(t)-

plural residencies

1

a

: a usually official place of residence

b

: a state or period of residence

a 20-year residency in the city

also : residence sense 2c

2

: a territory in a protected state in which the powers of the protecting state are executed by a resident agent

3

a

: a period of advanced training in a medical specialty that normally follows graduation from medical school and licensing to practice medicine

b

: residence sense 4b

c

: a period as an artist in residence

Synonyms

• habitation
• occupancy
• occupation
• possession

Examples of residency in a Sentence

You must meet the town's residency requirement in order to vote.

a four-year residency in the country

She recently completed her residency in pediatrics.

Recent Examples on the Web

The winner will receive $150,000 and a residency with Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland, Canada. —Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

The next year, Nuñez traveled to San Jose for another 40-mile march to demand congressional action on a pathway to permanent residency for millions stuck in legal limbo. —Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

Church is celebrating the opening by playing a 19-show residency at the venue’s 350-seat theater; the first show took place last Friday, April 5. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

Laura, angling for a Sorbonne residency, may have to choose between the two and Elías. —John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

In his debut February residency at NYC’s Blue Note, André barely spoke a word. —Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2024

But the Midwest native known for his Aviator sunglasses and stretchy smile has his sights on West Sacramento, where the A’s plan to begin a three-year residency in 2025 — with the option of a fourth year while their final destination, a ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip, undergoes construction. —Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

Adele has rescheduled a run of dates of her popular Weekends With Adele Las Vegas residency that were originally slated to take place in March. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024

Adele has announced the final dates of her long-running Weekends With Adele residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

residency

noun

res·​i·​den·​cy ˈrez-əd-ən-sē 

-ə-ˌden(t)-

plural residencies

1

a

: a usually official place of residence

b

: a state or period of residence

a four-year residency in the country

c

: residence sense 2b

applied for residency

2

a

: a period of advanced training especially in a medical specialty that typically follows graduation from medical school

b

: residence sense 3b

Medical Definition

residency

noun

res·​i·​den·​cy ˈrez-əd-ən-sē 

plural residencies

: a period of advanced medical training and education that normally follows graduation from medical school and licensing to practice medicine and that consists of supervised practice of a specialty in a hospital and in its outpatient department and instruction from specialists on the hospital staff

Legal Definition

residency

noun

res·​i·​den·​cy ˈre-zə-dən-sē 

plural residencies

1

: an often official place of residence

2

: the condition of being a resident of a particular place