Residential describes places where people live in homes rather than work or shop. A residential neighborhood is filled with houses and apartments where families sleep, eat, and spend their personal time, rather than office buildings or stores. When a city zones an area as residential, it means that space is set aside for living, not for factories or shopping centers.

A residence is simply a place where someone lives: your house is your residence. Schools often have residential programs where students live on campus in dormitories instead of going home each night. Summer camps are often residential, meaning campers sleep there in cabins for the whole week.

You might notice that residential streets feel different from commercial ones. They're usually quieter, with slower speed limits and fewer bright signs. That's because residential areas are designed for the rhythms of home life: children playing, neighbors chatting, families coming and going. When someone says they live in a nice residential area, they mean a neighborhood focused on homes and daily life rather than businesses and traffic.