What does resident mean?
A resident is a person who lives in a particular place, and resident is also an adjective describing people, things, or services associated with that place. The noun commonly appears in combinations such as local resident, while the adjective can describe a resident population, a resident doctor, or a property occupied by residents. The word often suggests more than temporary presence: in legal and administrative contexts, a permanent resident is someone whose established home or legal status is tied to a particular location. The related noun residence refers to the place where someone lives, while residency can mean either that status or a period of living in a place. Resident is consequently useful whenever a distinction is needed between someone merely visiting and someone who lives, works regularly, or has a recognized connection with a location. Its Latin roots, related to the idea of remaining or sitting in place, make it especially effective for describing people who stay.
A person who lives in a particular place.
"The residents formed a neighborhood association."
Often used with a place name or a descriptive term such as local or permanent.
Living in a particular place or associated with the people who live there.
"The city launched a resident safety program."
In professional and institutional contexts, it can mean regularly present or based at a location, as in resident physician.
The standard plural of the noun resident is residents, referring to more than one person who lives in a particular place.
"Several residents signed the petition."
A resident is, quite literally, someone who remains: the word comes from Latin for staying or sitting in place.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does resident come from?
Resident entered English through Old French and Latin. It comes from the Latin present participle residentem, meaning “remaining” or “staying,” derived from residere, formed from re- and sidere, “to sit.” The same Latin source produced related English words such as reside, residence, residency, and residential.
Related word forms
How resident is actually used
The noun and adjective forms are standard in formal and informal English in both British and American usage. In phrases such as resident physician, the adjective can mean regularly present or based at a particular location, not simply someone who lives there. The word can also imply permanence, especially in legal or administrative contexts such as permanent resident.
Easily confused with resident
A residence is a person's home or place of residence, whereas a resident is the person who lives there.
A president is a leader or head of an organization or country, whereas a resident is someone who lives in a particular place.