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What is the difference between "residence" and "home"?

Both these words have several different meanings. I will limit myself to one — the place where one lives.

Home is usually a place where one stays and to which one is emotionally attached. "Home", as the saying goes, "is where the heart is". There is a lot of sentimental value attached to a home. A millionaire may have several houses, but he usually has one home. Not every house can become a home.

As for the word "residence", we, the middle-class people, are terribly fond of it. We use it synonymously with "house" and "home". According to the dictionaries, "residence" is a formal word for "home". But it's no ordinary home either. It's usually something huge and imposing, like the WHITE HOUSE. We therefore talk about the "President's residence". A native speaker doesn't usually refer to a one bedroom apartment, or a two bedroom house as his "residence".






COURTESY : The Hindu (The National News-Paper) - India


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