residency

noun

res·​i·​den·​cy ˈre-zə-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce residency (audio)
ˈrez-dən(t)-, 
ˈre-zə-ˌden(t)-
plural residencies
Synonyms of residencynext
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 of residency

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That house is typically a stadium, although this week the rockers scaled down and got back to their roots for a four-night musical residency on Jimmy Kimmel Live. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2026 That covered green cards, naturalization and other petitions, including residency applications under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 MontPIRG claims the change to Montana's residency rule could force thousands of students to lose the ability to have a say at the ballot box about how their communities are run. — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 The video was shot at London venue Moth Club, where, last year, Thorn and Watt performed a residency that informed the direction of the new material. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for residency

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of residency was in 1579

Rhymes for residency

See All Rhymes for residency

Browse Nearby Words

residencia
residency
resident
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Residency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/residency. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

residency

noun
res·​i·​den·​cy ˈrez-əd-ən-sē How to pronounce residency (audio)
-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 How to pronounce residency (audio)
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 How to pronounce residency (audio)
plural residencies
1
: an often official place of residence
2
: the condition of being a resident of a particular place

More from Merriam-Webster on residency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about residency

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