resident

1 of 2

adjective

res·​i·​dent ˈre-zə-dənt 

ˈrez-dənt, 

ˈre-zə-ˌdent

1

a

: living in a place for some length of time : residing

b

: serving in a regular or full-time capacity

the resident engineer for a highway department

also : being in residence

—often used humorously to refer to a person in a group with a certain skill, area of knowledge, etc.

He's our resident trivia expert.

2

: present, inherent

energy resident in matter

3

: not migratory

resident species

resident

2 of 2

noun

1

: one who resides in a place

2

: a diplomatic agent residing at a foreign court or seat of government

especially : one exercising authority in a protected state as representative of the protecting power

3

: a physician serving a residency

Synonyms of resident

Noun

• inhabitant
• occupant
• resider

Examples of resident in a Sentence

Adjective

Several tribes are resident in this part of the country.

Noun

a resident of Atlanta

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The $6,489 monthly common charge includes a full-time doorman, elevator operator, live-in resident manager, fitness center, landscaped garden, private storage, and bike room, all just minutes from Midtown and the East River Greenway. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026

Prosecutors believe the network collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent resident status, the Justice Department said. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Noun

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants residents to reauthorize the city’s portion of arena funding this fall, and the deadline to add the issue to November’s ballot is Monday. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Sabio said the proposals were developed through conversations with residents rather than solely by his campaign. — Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin resident-, residens, present participle of residēre

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing resident

• co-resident
• minister resident
• resident commissioner

Rhymes for resident

• nonresident

Kids Definition

resident

1 of 2 adjective

res·​i·​dent ˈrez-əd-ənt 

-ə-ˌdent

1

: living in a place for some length of time

2

: working on a regular or full-time basis

a resident physician

3

: not migrating to other areas

resident birds

resident

2 of 2 noun

1

: one who resides in a place

2

: a person (as a physician) serving a residency

Medical Definition

resident

noun

res·​i·​dent ˈrez-əd-ənt, ˈrez-dənt 

: a physician serving a residency

Legal Definition

resident

noun

res·​i·​dent

ˈre-zə-dənt

: one who has a residence in a particular place but does not necessarily have the status of a citizen compare citizen sense 1, domiciliary

resident adjective