How do you use "reside"?

Intransitive; almost always followed by the preposition 'in' or 'at'. Usually takes the preposition 'in'.

reside — meaning, definition & examples

Q: What does "reside" mean?

1. (to live in a place) to live in a specific place for a long time. 2. (to exist within) for a power, right, or quality to belong to someone or something. 3. (to be stored) to be kept or located in a specific part of a computer or system.

Word

01to live in a place

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to live in a specific place for a long time.

v. to dwell permanently or for a considerable period; to have one's settled or legal abode in a particular location.

“The family has resided in this small village for over thirty years.”

“Under the terms of the visa, the applicant must reside within the country for at least six months of the calendar year to maintain permanent residency status.”

Usage

Intransitive; almost always followed by the preposition 'in' or 'at'.

Synonyms

live dwell inhabit

Antonyms

visit depart

02to exist within

C1 · Advanced Law Formal · Academic

v. for a power, right, or quality to belong to someone or something.

v. to be present as an inherent quality or to be vested in a person or body, such as authority or legal power.

“The power to change the law resides in the parliament.”

“The ultimate authority to approve the budget resides in the board of directors, though the initial drafting is handled by the finance committee.”

Usage

Usually takes the preposition 'in'.

Synonyms

inherevest lie

03to be stored

C2 · Proficiency Computing Technical

v. to be kept or located in a specific part of a computer or system.

v. to be permanently or semi-permanently stored in a particular location within a computer's memory or storage system.

“The main program files reside on the local hard drive.”

“The operating system kernel resides in a protected area of the memory to prevent accidental corruption by user-level applications.”

Synonyms

stay sit

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “reside” in context.

Verb

01. reside at a prestigious address

“The family has resided at a prestigious address in the capital for over three generations.”

verb + prep + adj + noun

02. reside in a rural area

“Many retirees choose to reside in a rural area to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside.”

verb + prep + adj + noun

03. reside within the human soul

“The poet argued that true beauty resides within the human soul rather than in outward appearances.”

verb + prep + adj + noun

Adverb

04. currently reside in the city

“Although he was born in a small village, he currently resides in the city to be closer to his office.”

adv + verb + prep + noun

05. permanently reside in the country

“The diplomat has been granted a special visa that allows her to permanently reside in the country.”

adv + verb + prep + noun

06. ultimately reside with the board

“While the manager handles daily operations, the power to approve the budget ultimately resides with the board.”

adv + verb + prep + noun

“This is so that Spain can make sure they’re not letting criminals come and reside in the country.”

The Local 12 Aug 2026

“What's new is that, until now, we've started with the assumption that supermassive black holes reside in the centers of massive galaxies," said study co-author Suvi Gezari, an associate professor of astronomy at UMD.”

ScienceDaily 6 Aug 2026

“Enlisted Japanese men resided in compound B, while Japanese officers and Korean and Taiwanese laborers conscripted into the imperial military stayed in compound D.”

Smithsonian Magazine 5 Aug 2026