* In medicine: A residency is a period of graduate medical education in which a physician, typically after completing medical school, receives supervised clinical training in a specific medical specialty. It's essentially an apprenticeship to become a specialist.
* In immigration: Residency refers to the status of a person who is legally permitted to live in a country other than their country of citizenship. This can be temporary or permanent.
* In art/writing: A residency can be a period of time spent by an artist or writer in a specific location, often provided with housing and studio space, to focus on their creative work. These are often sponsored by institutions or organizations.
* In a general sense: Residency simply means the state of residing somewhere; living in a particular place.
To understand what "residency" means, you need to consider the context in which it's used.