What does "residual" mean?

1. (remaining) remaining after the main part of something has gone or been taken away. 2. (a remainder) a small amount of something that remains after a process is finished. 3. (entertainment payments) money paid to actors or writers when their show or movie is shown again. 4. (statistical difference) the difference between a real measurement and what a mathematical model predicted. 5. (paranormal presence) a feeling or energy left in a place after a big event or a person's death.

How do you use "residual"?

Usually placed before the noun it modifies. Almost always used in the plural form 'residuals'.

residual

adj. · n.

US //ɹɪˈzɪdʒuəɫ// UK //ɹɪsˈɪdʒuːəl// resid·u·al

1 remaining (adj.)
C1 Advanced Academic

remaining after the main part of something has gone or been taken away.

relating to or constituting a residue; remaining after the majority of a substance or quantity has been removed or processed.

Example

Even after cleaning the engine, there was some residual oil on the floor.

Example

The laboratory results indicated a small amount of residual pesticide in the soil samples, despite the field not being treated for several years.

Usage

Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
- initial
- primary
2 a remainder (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

a small amount of something that remains after a process is finished.

a quantity or substance remaining after a specific process, such as evaporation or combustion, has been completed.

Example

The chemist analyzed the residual left in the bottom of the flask.

Example

The industrial process was designed to minimize the toxic residuals that often accumulate during the cooling phase.

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3 entertainment payments (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical

money paid to actors or writers when their show or movie is shown again.

payments made to creative professionals, such as performers or directors, for the subsequent broadcast or sale of a recorded work.

Example

The actor still receives residuals every time the old sitcom airs on TV.

Example

The union negotiated a new contract to ensure that writers receive fair residuals from streaming platforms as well as traditional broadcast networks.

Usage

Almost always used in the plural form 'residuals'.
- royalties
4 statistical difference (n.)
C2 Proficiency Academic Technical Math

the difference between a real measurement and what a mathematical model predicted.

the difference between an observed value and the value predicted by a statistical model or regression line.

Example

The researcher checked the residuals to see if the model was accurate.

Example

A pattern in the residuals suggested that the linear model was inappropriate for the dataset and required a non-linear approach.
- error
- deviation
5 paranormal presence (n.)
C2 Proficiency Informal

a feeling or energy left in a place after a big event or a person's death.

a spiritual or energetic trace allegedly left in a location following a significant or traumatic event.

Example

Some people believe the cold spot in the hallway is a residual from the house's history.

Example

Paranormal investigators often distinguish between an intelligent haunting and a mere residual that repeats like a recording.
- trace
- echo

Origin

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”).