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

2

: present, inherent

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

Noun

• denizen
• dweller
• habitant
• inhabitant
• inhabiter
• occupant
• resider
• tenant

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

Known as usurpation, Africanized honey bees are known to do this, killing the resident queen. —Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Fort Worth officially broke the 1 million resident threshold in 2024, according to federal tallies. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025

Noun

For an island of just 123 year-round residents, the stars may prove to be a new kind of economic lifeline—one that preserves what makes Anholt so rare. —Valerie Stimac, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Each year, roughly 255,000 children could be born without U.S. citizenship, creating a growing population of stateless residents, according to the data. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025

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