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

That tour is now the only place to catch Blue Man Group on the East Coast since its resident companies in New York City and Boston both closed after decades-long runs. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026

Nevada’s resident population soared more than 62% from 2000 to 2025, far outpacing the roughly 21% increase seen nationally, federal data shows. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 19 June 2026

Noun

Potential jurors questioned on harassment, retaliation A jury pools of roughly 300 Johnson County residents was whittled down to 110 on Monday morning before attorneys began their questions. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026

New flyover ramps connecting to I-95 would also be built, while sound barriers would be installed along both sides of the corridor to help reduce traffic noise for nearby residents. —Joan Murray, CBS News, 23 June 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