resident
/ˈrɛzɪdənt/
noun
Origin
Latin
residere — to remain behind, stay, settle
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person who resides in a particular place permanently or for an extended period.
- A physician who has finished medical school and is receiving specialized training in a hospital.
Literal older meaning
one who sits down or remains
Language path
Latin → Middle French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
resident
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the late medieval period, primarily used in legal and diplomatic contexts to denote someone officially stationed or living in a specific territory, such as a diplomatic 'resident'. The medical sense developed much later in the 19th and 20th centuries as hospital training structures became formalized.
Evolution
- Latin
residens
“remaining, staying”
Present participle of residere
- Middle French
résident
“one who resides”
- Middle English
resident
“a person living in a place”
Adopted into Middle English legal and administrative vocabulary
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
back or again
sid
root
to sit
-ent
suffix
suffix indicating a person or agent
Related across languages
French
résident
resident
Spanish
residente
resident
Explore next
Related to resident
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.