To reside means to live somewhere permanently or for an extended period of time. When your family resides in Seattle, that's where your home is, where you go to school, and where you spend most of your time. It's more formal than simply saying “live,” and you'll often see it in official documents or legal writing.

The word suggests something more stable than just visiting or staying temporarily. A student might visit their grandparents for the summer, but they reside with their parents during the school year. A country's president resides in an official home (in America, the White House), meaning that's where they actually live while serving in office.

You might also hear about where certain animals reside: “Polar bears reside in Arctic regions” means that's their natural, permanent home. The place where someone or something resides is called a residence. Your residence is your home, whether that's a house, apartment, or any other place you live. When you fill out forms asking for your “place of residence,” they want to know your home address or where you currently live.