residual

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residual

/ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.ʊəl/ UK
/ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.əl/ UK
/ɹɪˈzɪd.jʊəl/ UK
/ɹɪˈzɪd.jəl/ UK
/ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.u.əl/ US
/ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.əl/ US
/ɹə-/ US

Where it comes from

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”).

adjective

not comparable Of, relating to, or remaining as a residue; left over. Yet certain films leave a residual memory—such as Psycho: many people still feel uneasy showering in a motel bathroom.
Similar: residuary, left, left behind, left over, odd, remaining, residual

noun residuals

A remainder left over at the end of some process.
in plural Payments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated. The tentative deal announced this week by the Writers Guild of America includes many industry-specific aspects, such as the size of writers’ rooms and improved residuals for streaming.
The difference between the observed value and the estimated value of the quantity of interest.
A spiritual presence left behind in a place as a result of a person's death or some other significant event.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: residuary, residuum, remainder, residue, rest, remnant, remaining, standby, stay, survivorship, survival, last, stand-by, persistent, background, surplus

Translations

Every language

adj concerning a residue

Español	residual
Français	résiduel
Deutsch	verbleibend, übrigbleibend, restlich, übrig
Italiano	residuo, residuato, rimasto
Ελληνικά	υπολειμματικός ypoleimmatikós
Русский	оста́точный ostátočnyj
עברית	שיורי

noun a remainder left over at the end of some process

Русский	оста́ток ostátok

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MLA

"residual." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/residual. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

residual. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/residual

Chicago

"residual." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/residual.

BibTeX

@misc{residual_2026,
  title = {residual},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/residual},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}