Residual Meaning
/ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.ʊəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOf, relating to, or remaining as a residue; left over.
nounA remainder left over at the end of some process.
Sentence Examples
Now clean up any residual dust.
Large residual stomach contents may lead to loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the storm, a ____ layer of water remained on the basement floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ effects of the medication lasted for several days after the patient stopped taking it.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Yet certain films leave a residual memory—such as Psycho: many people still feel uneasy showering in a motel bathroom."
— 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 185:
"Abolitionists argued that race had no place in a free and democratic society as a dividing line. Economic and social policies and practices, they argued, should be race-neutral and egalitarian. Yet despite these racially egalitarian values, much abolitionist rhetoric exhibited a strong residual commitment to racialist thinking and a palpable devotion to white supremacy."
— 2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 59:
"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."
— 2023 September 29, Adam Seth Litwin, “Want to Save Your Job From A.I.? Hollywood Screenwriters Just Showed You How.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
"Because, despite his very small role as shark victim Alex Kintner when he was 12, Voorhees is still being paid residuals – royalties – 50 years later. Every time Jaws is on TV, he earns money. […] “It pays to die,” is how he put it in a recent interview with Syfy."
— 2025 August 18, “‘You’re gonna need a bigger bank account’: how a Jaws child actor turned a fleeting appearance into a fortune”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the storm, a ____ layer of water remained on the basement floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ effects of the medication lasted for several days after the patient stopped taking it.