Standard Lemma guide

residual

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.ʊəl/ yod-coalescence
  • /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.əl/ yod-coalescence
  • /ɹɪˈzɪd.jʊəl/ non-yod-coalescence
  • /ɹɪˈzɪd.jəl/ non-yod-coalescence
  • General-American: /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.u.əl/
  • General-American: /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.əl/
  • General-American: /ɹə-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 Z IH1 JH UW0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, relating to, or remaining as a residue; left over.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A remainder left over at the end of some process.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The difference between the observed value and the estimated value of the quantity of interest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A spiritual presence left behind in a place as a result of a person's death or some other significant event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: paranormal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

relating to or indicating a remainder

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • residual quantity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: residuary

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

(often plural) a payment that is made to a performer or writer or director of a television show or commercial that is paid for every repeat showing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he could retire on his residuals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: payment

8

noun

Meaning 8

something left after other parts have been taken away

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there was no remainder
  • he threw away the rest
  • he took what he wanted and I got the balance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: remainder, balance, residue, residuum, rest

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: part, portion, component part, component, constituent

Narrower terms: leftover, remnant

History

Etymology

Recorded since 1570. From residue, itself borrowed during the Middle English period from Old French residu (Modern French résidu), from Latin residuum (“a remainder”), the neuter inflection of residuus (“remaining, left over”), perfect participle of resideō (“to remain behind”), from re- (“back, again”) + sedeō (“to sit, to reside”).

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: остатъчен (ostatǎčen) — concerning a residue
  • Catalan: residual — concerning a residue
  • Dutch: overgebleven — concerning a residue
  • Dutch: residuair — concerning a residue
  • Finnish: jäännös- — concerning a residue
  • Finnish: jälki- — concerning a residue
  • French: résiduel — concerning a residue
  • German: verbleibend — concerning a residue
  • German: übrigbleibend — concerning a residue
  • German: restlich — concerning a residue
  • German: übrig — concerning a residue
  • Greek: υπολειμματικός (ypoleimmatikós) — concerning a residue
  • Hebrew: שיורי — concerning a residue
  • Hungarian: megmaradó — concerning a residue
  • Hungarian: megmaradt — concerning a residue
  • Hungarian: maradék — concerning a residue
  • Italian: residuo — concerning a residue
  • Italian: residuato — concerning a residue
  • Italian: rimasto — concerning a residue
  • Russian: оста́точный (ostátočnyj) — concerning a residue
  • Spanish: residual — concerning a residue
  • Swedish: kvarvarande — concerning a residue
  • Swedish: resterande — concerning a residue
  • Swedish: överbliven — concerning a residue
  • Swedish: återstående — concerning a residue
  • Bulgarian: остатък (ostatǎk) — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Catalan: residu — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Dutch: overblijfsel — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Dutch: residu — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Dutch: restant — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Dutch: restproduct — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Finnish: jäännös — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Irish: fuílleach — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Russian: оста́ток (ostátok) — a remainder left over at the end of some process
  • Finnish: uusintapalkkio — payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated
  • Georgian: განმეორებითი ჩვენების ჰონორარი (ganmeorebiti čvenebis honorari) — payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated
  • Georgian: ჰონორარი განმეორებითი ჩვენებისთვის (honorari ganmeorebiti čvenebistvis) — payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated
  • Georgian: ანაზღაურება განმეორებითი ჩვენებისთვის (anazɣaureba ganmeorebiti čvenebistvis) — payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated
Real reading context

residual in complete knowledge articles