Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Residence has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
the official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president)
"he refused to live in the governor's residence"
a large and imposing house
"The local mayor moved into his new residence, a sprawling manor that dominated the hillside overlooking the town."
The place where one lives; one's home.
"The police officer knocked on our residence to deliver a summons for the parking violation."
In plain English: A residence is the place where you live.
"After moving to the city, they found a small apartment for their new residence."
Usage: Use residence to refer specifically to your permanent or official dwelling, such as when stating an address on legal forms. It is often interchangeable with home in casual conversation but carries a more formal tone than house or apartment.
The word entered English through the path of Middle and Old French before arriving from Medieval Latin. It originally described the act or state of staying in one place, derived from a root meaning "to sit again."